Rise of the Dragons
by Himewolf398
Summary: Centuries ago, dragons were the rulers of the Monster Realm but were overthrown by the very first Phoenix. Now in present time, the King of Dragons has returned to reclaim his throne and get revenge. Can Hime and the gang take on this threat? And what is Hiro's connection to all of this?
1. Prologue

Hey guys and welcome to another Princess Resurrection story. This was actually a request made by one of my readers and of course I don't mind making story requests for anime/manga that I like and love. Here's the prologue and I hope you guys enjoy. :)

* * *

In present time, monsters believed that the Phoenix had always been the ruler of monsters for as far back as when history was first recorded...and they would be correct. However, what about before then? Who ruled the Monster Realm? Well, let me tell you the story that has long been forgotten. In ancient times, before the Phoenix became the ruler of the Monster Realm, the title of 'King' belonged to the most powerful monsters in existence. One that rivaled the Phoenix in terms of both power and immortality.

Dragons.

Dragons were incredibly powerful monsters that could even bend the very fabric of reality to their will. If you actually managed to kill one in battle, with an incredible amount of luck, they could revive themselves. The only way to kill a dragon permanently was to absorb its soul into either a sealing crystal or by another dragon. Their scales were like armor as they were strong enough to withstand almost all weapons without a scratch. Their claws were like spears and could tear through thick, solid steel. Their fangs were like swords and their wings were strong enough to summon powerful whirlwinds. The dragons also were able to use magic that were exclusive to their bloodline. It was impossible for other monsters to learn how to use their power. The powers the dragons wielded ranged from breathing fire and ice to summoning powerful storms and even stopping time. However, there was one dragon who the strongest of them all. His name?

Draven.

He was the dragon that had claimed the throne and held the title of the King of all Monsters. He had a spiked head with scales that were as black as the darkest of night with eyes as red as blood. He ruled the realm of monsters with an iron fist and all of his subjects that weren't dragons lived in oppression and slavery. He saw non-dragons as inferior beings and majority of the dragon population shared his views. Destruction and domination were within a dragon's very nature after all. However, that didn't mean that other monsters couldn't earn their respect. Werewolves were one of the races that would fight to the death even against a vastly superior opponent. That was what earned them the respect of the dragons. They definitely weren't seen as equals but they were given a higher status amongst the other monsters. Draven was so strong that even others of his kind were roughly no match. The king also had an advantage that no other dragon possessed. He had a psychic ability called telekinesis but his main power had to do with the manipulation of shadows. He even received another title known as the 'Dragon Reaper' or 'Dragon of Death'.

However, hundreds of years later was when everything changed. A huge and majestic bird wreathed in flames appeared and some monsters believe it was birthed from the very sun itself. Others say it was the soul of a bird that merged with the flames on its deathbed and achieved divinity. No matter which origin holds true, there was only one thing that mattered now. That it brought a ray of hope and the warmth of light into the darkness and despair that was King Draven's rule.

The Phoenix, as the bird was called, incited a rebellion with its very presence against the dragons. Then the Phoenix-Dragon War took place. Despite the fact that there was only one Phoenix, its influence was vast and exceptional. For decades the war raged and the Phoenix quickly realized how outmatched its allies were. That is, until one lone dragon made the decision to aid the Phoenix. He went b the name Azuriel and he was one of Draven's younger brothers. He wasn't well received at first but the Phoenix believed he was genuine in his desire to assist them along with a few other dragons. It seemed not all of them agreed with Draven's cruelty in his rule. The Phoenix used its own magic to seal away the souls of the dragons that were defeated.

Draven was furious that there was not only a new monster able to match the dragons in power, but also that some of the dragons had turned against him! Even one of his own brothers! The war reached its climax when the Phoenix fought Draven at the summit of the tallest mountain in the Monster Realm. Powerful storms raged as a result of the enormous battle between the two most powerful monsters. Eventually the Phoenix managed to banish the Dragon King within the currents of time. After Draven's defeat, the Monster Realm recovered but it was after decades of healing. The Phoenix became the new King of Monsters and the surviving dragons in Azuriel's clan vanished without a trace. They were never heard from again and no one has even the slightest clue where they might have gone. It didn't matter though. Draven was gone for good and none of the dragons from Azuriel's clan or loyalists to Draven emerged from hiding. Now, the monsters have forgotten the existence of dragons and they were now seen as just a myth.

But...is it truly safe to say that? Have we truly seen the last of Draven and the dragons?

* * *

A lone castle stood in the middle of a dark and dank swamp that was hidden away by the environment's sinister fog. The castle itself was rundown and covered in moss. There were no unbroken windows, no bricks intact, and no living soul within miles.

That didn't mean there was no one inside.

Deep inside the ruined chambers was an elder lich covered in black tattered robes with red and gold trimmings. He sat on the throne of the main hall and the dark red glow within his empty eye sockets scanned the desolate remains of his small castle. A castle that was given to him by his lord and master; Draven himself. Unlike most monsters, he embraced the rule of Draven and the dragons. The elder lich, along with a special select few, were given special treatment. They worshiped the dragons as gods with Draven as their god-king. Their loyalty and absolute obedience were rewarded with small amounts of power in the form of wooden masks with dragon markings carved into them. The elder lich stared down at the red colored mask that he took out of his robes and held in his bone hands. This was proof that he stood above majority of the other servants and slaves.

"How annoying." The elder lich said with a sigh. Thanks to the power of the mask, he saw the fight between the very first Phoenix and his master. The only reason why that Phoenix won was because Draven was set adrift in the currents of time. However, something told him in the back of his mind that the battle was far from over. In fact, it was merely postponed. It had been several centuries since that battle and during those centuries, the elder lich waited and he will continue to wait for his return. The return of Lord Draven, the true King of Monsters.

* * *

Azuriel laid down in the snow as he watched the skies. He had dark blue scales with a white underbelly and white webbing in his wings. He also had emerald green eyes and antler-like horns that curved backwards and sideways over the top of his head. Everyday the dragon waited on the very same mountain where the battle between Draven and the first Phoenix took pace. He knew banishing his older brother through time was only a temporary solution. He knew within his very blood and bones that Draven would return. The problem was where his other older brother disappeared to.

Azuriel was the youngest of three brothers. Draven was the eldest and the middle dragon was Razakel. Razakel was a red-scaled dragon with a silver underbelly and webbing in his wings. He had two pairs of dark red horns that curved back in two different ways. The top two started up, then slightly down and ended back up. The bottom pair curved down and ended upwards but the ends faced down. He was also one of the unique dragons to be born with a special physical feature. His was a steel blade at the tip of his spiked tail that almost looked like fire from its two sharp curves. Razakel was not like most dragons. He never cared for power and had no interest in the Phoenix-Dragon War. He neither helped nor hindered Draven's rule and preferred to live in isolation. The last time Azuriel talked to him was about fifteen years ago. If anyone should've been the King of Dragons, it was Razakel. He and his mate, a slender black and white dragon named Kunaria disappeared before the Phoenix arrived. To this day, Azuriel didn't know where his brother was located or if he was even in the Monster Realm.

" **Razakel, you know what's coming right? Our brother will return soon. Will you sit this one out as usual or will you finally get involved this time?** " Azuriel asked as he stared at the sky. " **Draven most likely knows about your son hidden in the Human Realm. What will you do?** "

* * *

Deep in the deserts of the Monster Realm, a doppelganger walked across the dry terrain with a walking stick. Then he suddenly stopped. He felt a chill run down his spine and a sense of dread. Something big was coming. He turned to the direction where that feeling was coming from and saw a purple and black portal appear on the ground several feet away. He dropped his stick in shock once he saw a huge spiky head with black scales and horns rise from the portal. Its huge clawed hands reached out and pulled the rest of its giant body from the portal. It stretched its huge wings and finally opened its eyes to reveal blood red orbs. Its slitted pupils slowly glanced around its surroundings. As soon as it spotted the doppelganger, its mouth opened to reveal its saliva-covered, deep seafish-style teeth and forked tongue in a grin-like manner.

" **Well, I did not expect to arrive here instead of the mountain but I'm glad to see that there's a snack here waiting for me.** " The dragon said and the doppelganger stumbled backwards not only from the comment, but also from how enormous this creature was.

"W-What a-a-are you?" The doppelganger asked and the dragon narrowed its eyes. It reached out and picked up the smaller monster with one of its hands. He shrieked. The doppelganger could sense how powerful this creature was by its aura and he froze.

" **Come now, I wasn't serious about the snack thing. And what do you mean 'What am I'? Have you never seen a dragon before?** " The dragon asked in a teasing manner.

"N-N-No way!"

" **Yessss way.** " The dragon brought the smaller creature closer. " **I know that my kind have decided to hide like disgusting cowards and that is why monsters think we're extinct or have never even existed in the first place. However, I am here now to prove them so very wrong.** "

"I-Is that s-so?" The doppelganger gulped.

" **Well actually, since there's no other food around..you will have to do!** " The dragon opened its mouth and the doppelganger screamed until a loud crunching sound echoed and everything was silent. " **Now then, it's time to take back what's _mine_.** "

* * *

Both Azuriel's eyes widened and the red glow in the elder lich's eyes grew brighter.

" **Draven is back.** "

"Lord Draven has returned."

* * *

And there's the end of the rologue. Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you later.


	2. Chapter 1

Hello and welcome to chapter one. As for the update schedule, I will update this story and my Evolve story once a week but the order of which story gets updated first and on what day will vary. Anyway, it's been a long time since I last watched/read princess resurrection, let alone write a story so if someone seems out of character just bear with me as I get back into the swing of things. There are some elements from the manga but it takes place two years after the anime. Well, enjoy!

* * *

Azuriel was sitting at the summit of Velaris mountain. The same mountain where the Phoenix-Dragon battle took place. He sat on his haunches with his wings wrapped around his body like a blanket. He had expected Draven to arrive here but such a thing did not happen. The dragon's eyes were closed as he meditated. His older brother will no doubt exact revenge on not only the Phoenix, but also the dragons who betrayed him. Azuriel didn't know if Razakel was included in that group since he did nothing. He sensed someone approaching but did not ope his eyes.

"Lord Azuriel, there is a massive shift in the air." An old man said. He was wearing long grey robes with a hood over his head. He watched the blue dragon open his eyes and turn to face him.

" **I know. One of my brothers has returned and that's not a good thing.** " Azuriel said. " **I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about Vann.** "

"Draven." Vann said and Azuriel nodded. The mortal had heard that the dragon sitting before him betrayed his own brother for the betterment of all monster kind. He followed in his other brother's footsteps and started a rigorous meditation regimen to keep his nature as a dragon in check. It was working so far and it had for many centuries but mostly because Azuriel lived in isolation just like Razakel.

Azuriel stared at Vann. This was one of Razakel's servants, or at least that's what Vann thinks of himself. Razakel told him that he doesn't see Vann that way but the monk was surprisingly stubborn. Was it an aura dragons had that just makes others submit to them? Vann had appeared through a teleportation portal that Razakel uses and his brother would occasionally speak through him, though he didn't know what was with all the secrecy. Was it to hide from Draven?

" **Vann, let me talk to Razakel.** " Azuriel said and the monk nodded. He closed his eyes and they were suddenly glowing a bright green color once he reopened them.

" **What is it Azuriel?** " A deeper voice asked as it came out of Vann's mouth. Now, Razakel was more calm and composed than his other two brothers but would still show emotion and Azuriel could detect some concern in his voice; meaning he knew what was happening.

" **You definitely felt it too right? Draven is back.** " Razakel hummed in agreement.

" **I have. He was never subtle about showing his power.** " Azuriel had a worried look in his eyes.

" **What about your son? Does Draven know about him? Is he safe with you and your mate?** " Razakel chuckled.

" **Calm down brother.** " The younger dragon narrowed his eyes.

" **Brother, this is a very dangerous situation. Draven will gather an army of us to take back the throne from the Phoenix. If Draven does know then he will try to recruit your son.** "

" **I know, and Draven does know about my son. However, he resides in the Human Realm.** " Azuriel's eyes widened.

" **Why?! He's in danger!** " Razakel sighed.

" **I realize that but making contact with him and unsealing his dragon blood will only make it easier for Draven to find him.** "

" **But why? Why are you not raising your own child? Why is he in the Human Realm and not where you are?** " Azuriel coudn't understand what his older brother was thinking. Razakel sensed this and sighed again.

" **I won't ask you to try and understand why I did what I did for my son but know that it will work out in the future. For our kind and the rest of the Monster Realm.** " Razakel said and Azuriel knew he was being sincere but he was also being slightly cryptic. What did he mean? How does his son growing up in the Human Realm with adoptive human parents equal a better future for dragon kind? However, he trusted his brother and let the matter go for now.

" **Will you at least tell me my nephew's name before you cut the connection?** "

" **Of course. I don't know what the humans named him but Kunaria gave him the name, Rankiah.** "

* * *

In Sasanaki City, there was a lone mansion on top of a hill and despite the ominous vibe it gave off, it was home to some rather colorful people. Though that's only if you count non-humans as colorful people. Deep inside, there was a boy sleeping peacefully in his bed. This young man was named Hiro Hiyorimi and he was a blood warrior in the service of Hime, the second royal princess of the Monster Realm.

"Hiro, wake up! It's time for school!" Sawawa, his older sister shouted and the now sixteen-year-old slowly opened his eyes. He let out a yawn and rose from his bed. Suddenly, he started getting a little dizzy and placed his hands on his desk to steady himself.

' _Hime's blood must be wearing off._ ' Hiro thought. After he completed his morning ritual, he made his way to the living room where his master was. There was Hime herself sitting in her usual chair with Flandre serving tea that was recently prepared by Sawawa. The princess was silently sipping her Earl Grey tea and she turned her head to acknowledge the new presence in the room.

"There you are Hiro. It's about time my blood has started to run out. Come and drink." Hime said as she placed her teacup down and bit her finger. Hiro kneeled before her and slowly drank her blood. However, once Hiro finished and Hime retracted her hand, it happened. Pain started to shoot through Hiro's body and he collapsed on the floor. Hime was taken aback by the sudden action.

"Yo Hime! How's-What the hell?!" Riza shouted as she walked in and saw Hiro on the floor with Hime kneeling next to him. The boy now had a high fever and was sweating profusely. He opened one of his eyes and Hime saw that it was yellow-gold with the pupils slitted but she noticed that there was a subtle difference in them. A powerful beast-like presence dwelled within, as if this wasn't Hiro but someone else that was staring right back at her. "What the hell's wrong with Hiro?!"

"I don't know." Hime responded calmly but she did have some concern in her eyes and Riza ran over. For once in a long time, Hime didn't know what was wrong or what was happening with Hiro. "Take him to his room. I'll let Sawawa know that Hiro won't be going to school today."

Riza picked up the boy and carried him to his room. Hiro opened his eyes halfway and looked at her. It felt like his entire body was on fire and his eyes burned like crazy. His heart raced a mile a minute and a migraine assaulted his head. The half-breed laid Hiro down on his bed and a few minutes later, Hime and Flandre walked into the room.

"Fuga." Flandre said as she placed a cold, wet rag on Hiro's forehead. Hime's blood had never caused something like this before. Then the princess noticed something glowing slightly underneath Hiro's shirt. Her red eyes narrowed slightly and she moved closer.

"Flandre, open Hiro's shirt." Hime commanded and Riza looked at her confused. The android did just that and Riza gasped when both her and Hime saw a symbol that was slightly glowing blue. It was located on Hiro's chest right where his heart was. Hime looked closer and saw that a quarter of it was fading away. "What..is this?"

"Seriously Hime, what the hell is happening?" Riza asked but Hime remained silent.

"Fuga." Flandre said and Hime nodded.

"The problem is how my blood caused this when it hasn't happened before. Flandre, get every book on seals in the library." The little android immediately left the room.

"Hey Hime, do you know what that is?" Riza asked.

"I do not. I've never seen something like this. It's a seal, but I don't know what it's for or why it's on Hiro." A few minutes later, Flandre walked in carrying a few books.

"What's with all this ruckus so early in the morning?" A tired but seductive voice asked and the three saw Reiri walk in. The pure-blooded vampire yawned a little but paused once she saw the situation and her eyes widened a little. "Oh my, what's going on?"

"Fuga." Flandre said and Reiri raised an eyebrow. Like hell Reiri knew what the android was saying.

"Hiro drank my blood but collapsed and this seal appeared on his chest." Hime said as she looked through one of the books that Flandre brought. She stopped on one page and glanced at the seal. "The basic structure is the same as a suppression seal."

"Suppress what? Hiro's human." Riza said and Hime gently closed the book.

"I don't know. I've never seen a seal like this before." Flandre sped through the rest of the books and shook her head at her master. It seems none of the other books held any information.

Things were worse for Hiro than any of the girls knew. His senses were enhanced to a painful degree for his weakened state. He could smell the scents of all three girls in the room and that caused his nose to burn as a result. He could hear their heartbeats and his eyes continued to burn even when they were closed. Then, Hiro felt something on his fingers grow along with a slightly painful and involuntary shifting of his ears. The same growing and shifting was happening inside his mouth and there was a grumble coming within his chest that was working its way up his throat. Hiro winced as he tried to keep it down.

Hime was the first to notice Hiro's physical changes and her eyebrows raised. Reiri was next to notice and her eyes widened. Finally Riza and Flandre saw it and the werewolf gasped. Hiro was growing silvery-white claws on both hands and his ears shifted until they ended in a sharp point at the top. His lips pulled back and his canines were elongated into sharp fangs.

"What the f-" Riza's shouting was interrupted by Reiri smacking the back of her head.

"Don't howl you stupid dog." Reiri said and Riza glared at her but before the werewolf could retort, Hime moved closer to Hiro once she saw the boy calm down. He slowly opened his eyes and Hime noted that they were still the same yellow-gold.

"Hime..what's..happening...to me?" Hiro asked.

"I don't know Hiro, but I will find out." Hime said and Hiro smiled a little before closing his eyes again.

* * *

Elsewhere, the elder lich was preparing his castle for Draven's appearance. He tidied up as best as he could but it was quite a lot of work for one person. Then his eye sockets glowed with anticipation as an incredibly powerful presence entered the castle. He rushed to the main hall and saw a tall man standing in the entrance. The man was well built with shoulder length black hair, a goatee of the same color, blood red eyes, and round pupils. He was wearing a black suit with a grey tie and black dress shoes. His eyes made contact with the glowing red orbs in the lich's eyes sockets.

"I see you haven't changed since I saw you around..." The man trailed off as he tried to remember.

"Several millenniums ago master." The elder lich said. Then he dropped to his hands and knees and bowed. "I've been awaiting your glorious return Lord Draven."

"And so you have Jal'zul." Draven said as he walked past the kneeling lich and towards the throne.

"I apologize for the state of this castle my lord. I shall continue to clean it up for you." Jal'zul said and Draven quietly sat on the throne. He frowned at having such a small castle like this as his base but it would have to do for now.

"There's no rush right now. We have a lot to do before we take on the current phoenix and slaughter his children. Being banished outside the flow of time has its advantages."

"What shall I do first master?" Draven smirked.

"Use the dragon mask I gave you and gather up my forces once more. I have a couple visits to make." Jal'zul watched as Draven stood up. "I have a nephew now and it's very important that I go and see him."

"What about your brothers?" Draven frowned even more than before.

"I will deal with my traitorous younger brother accordingly. As for Razakel, it depends." Jal'zul tilted his head in confusion. "The coward might stay out of this as usual but there is a good chance he will step in."

"What's different this time?" Draven looked at him and the lich kneeled before him. "I humbly apologize for asking too many questions my lord."

"No matter, my nephew is now locked in the eternal service of a _phoenix_." Jal'zul gasped. "No dragon should be in the service of anyone but me, especially not that of a phoenix. Now go!"

"At once!" Draven watched as the lich hurried out of the castle. Times have changed since he was last here and the new succession to the throne that was taking place between the immature phoenixes was interesting. They had to kill each other and the last one left standing would become the new king. It seemed the phoenixes were no different than humans. They lust after power and will stop at nothing to get it. Dragons were already born with power so such battle royales were unnecessary. However, the Phoenix that his nephew served was similar to Razakel in that they both held no interest in power. Draven chuckled to himself.

"Let's see how well she does against a dragon." The dragon king left the building and shifted to his dragon form before flying off to the Human Realm. A lone crow watched the black dragon leave and it flew away. It soared through the sky until it dove down and landed on a man's arm. This man looked to be in his late-twenties with short dark brown hair, stubble, and emerald green eyes. He wasn't as well built as Draven but wasn't skinny either. The crow squawked its report to the man and his eyes narrowed.

"I see. I didn't think he would go after him so soon." The man said and Vann walked over to him.

"Master, will you go after him?" Vann asked. The crow flew away and the man sighed.

"I have to. I've already neglected my son for far to long and as long as his dragon blood is sealed, he's in great danger." Vann nodded.

"As you wish then, Lord Razakel."

* * *

Late at night in Sasanaki City, the sky had suddenly started to darken and grey clouds rolled in. Thunder started to roar to life but there was no lightning nor rain. Every animal stopped what they were doing and were overcome by an immense wave of fear. The dogs and cats fled to find safety and shelter, all the rats scurried into the sewer drains, and the birds frantically flew out of the area. A torrent of shadows coalesced until Draven stepped out in human form. Even the pets inside their masters' homes panicked at the raw power that radiated from this person.

Back in Hime's mansion, Flandre was taking care of Hiro. His beast-like features had receded and one quarter of the seal on Hiro's chest had vanished completely. The boy was fast asleep with a freshly cold rag over his forehead and the android was watching over him. Then his hair color changed to white and his yellow-gold, slitted pupil eyes shot open before they scanned over his surroundings.

"Fuga." Flandre said and Hiro looked at her.

"Flandre, Hime's in danger. Huge danger."

The three girls were sitting in the dining room when the change in the weather hit. Riza's wolf ears appeared and she looked out the window with an intense look in her eyes. A bat tapped frantically at the window and Reiri let it in. It screeched its report and the vampire's eyes widened. Hime was also staring outside a window with her eyes narrowed. Her senses weren't as high as Reiri's or Riza's but it didn't take a genius to see that something was very wrong here. Then she saw a lone man walk towards her mansion.

"It seems we have an unwelcome visitor." Hime said and Riza jumped out of her seat. Downstairs, shadows moved through the small gap underneath the double doors and reformed into Draven. He glanced around the place and smirked.

"Such a lovely home this young phoenix has. Too bad, I would've taken it for myself it it was in the Monster Realm." Draven said to himself as he put his hands in his pockets.

"And who are you?" Draven dropped his smirk as his eyes met that of Hime. Two more girls joined her and their scents said ' _werewolf'_ and ' _vampire_ '.

"Ah yes, my name is Draven and _you_ are Hime." Hime raised an eyebrow slightly and Riza transformed her arms.

"No need to introduce yourself werewolf. You're Riza Wildman, daughter of Volg Wildman and the vampire next to you is Reiri Kamura."

"How the hell do you know us?" Riza asked and Draven chuckled.

"That's not important. I didn't come here for you three, at least not right now. I'm here to see my nephew, the one that the humans named Hiro." Hime and Reiri briefly looked at each other.

"What do you want with Hiro?" Draven sighed at the authoritative tone that Riza was using. It was almost laughable that a half-breed thought she could assert her dominance over him.

"I already told you that I'm here to see him. Now bring him to me or I will go get him myself." Riza's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Hime!" a voice shouted and everyone turned to see Hiro running towards the girls with an axe in and Flandre by his side. Draven grinned mischievously once he saw him. Hiro stood on the steps in front of Hime protectively with his axe ready. The dragon king frowned at that image.

"It's nice to finally meet you Hiro, though the circumstances could've been better." Draven said. "I'm your uncle, Draven."

"I've never heard of you." Hiro said.

"Of course you haven't. Anyway, I want you to come with me." Riza held out a paw in front of Hiro and Draven narrowed his eyes.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" Riza shouted.

"I don't recall asking you werewolf." Draven calmly said and she glared at him.

"Grr. Okay that's it!" Riza charged at the dragon.

"Flandre." Hime commanded and the android ran towards the dragon as well with a lamp pole. Draven grinned again and not only did he stop the lamp pole swing with his forearm, he also blocked Riza's punch with one hand. All the other occupants in the room were shocked at what just happened, even Hime.

"My my, I expected such rash actions from the half-werewolf but for you to order your servant to make the first strike against me is a bit unusual." Draven twisted his arm around the lamp pole and used his strength to toss Flandre aside. The android was sent flying and she crashed through a wall. He used the same lap pole to sweep Riza's legs from under her and punched her across the room. Draven smirked and he turned to Hime. "Come now phoenix, just make this easier on all of us and hand the boy over to me."

"Hime-sama, I really don't think we can fight this guy." Reiri said and Hime knew what she meant. Draven was giving off large amounts of power but she wasn't going to hand over Hiro. She heard something fall to the ground and looked to see Hiro's axe on the stairs and Hiro leaning on railing. He was breathing heavily and he was gripping it tightly. The seal on his chest was glowing brighter than before and it caught Draven's attention.

"Well well, it seems my brother's seal is deteriorating. I wonder why." Draven said but it was obvious that he knew what was going on. Riza recovered and aimed another punch but Draven easily maneuvered his body to dodge and kicked her through the front doors.

"What's..going on?" Hiro asked.

"I think it would be better if I showed you instead." Draven's hand started glowing a dark purple and a shadow hand emerged from the floor. It grabbed Hiro and Reiri flew over to him but another hand appeared and smacked her away. Then a gunshot sounded but the bullet was blocked by Dravn's forearm. Hime, who was holding a pistol, had her eyebrows raised in surprise. Draven's forearm was covered in black scales and the used bullet fell harmlessly to the ground. Draven smirked and rushed towards Hime. He disappeared in the shadows and reformed behind her. As soon as Hime turned around, his smirk faded and a frown took its place. Hiro struggled inside the hand's grip.

' _I have to protect her!_ ' Hiro thought. As if to answer his thoughts, his heartbeat started to accelerate. His nails grew into claws and his teeth lengthened into fangs. His ears shifted to a pointed shape and his body temperature started to rise. He felt like he was on fire. Draven sensed what was happening and an inhuman roar echoed throughout the mansion. Flandre, Riza, and Reiri regrouped in time to see the shadow hand disperse and a Hiro with small beast-like features landed smoothly on the floor. He ripped his shirt off and gritted his fangs in anger. Draven grinned when he saw this and moved away from Hime.

"Just because you have access to a quarter of your blood doesn't mean you're a match for me." Draven said. With increased speed, Hiro lunged at him. The older dragon dodged and Hiro leaped onto a wall. He bounced off of it and made a downward claw slash. Draven blocked the attack and punched him across the room. Hiro flipped and landed on all fours on the floor with a loud growl. The dragon king tilted his head mockingly and that caused the boy to snarl and bare his fangs. "You have no idea how to use this newfound power do you? You're so unfocused with your attacks."

Hiro could feel it. Raw power surging through his veins. Whatever was inside him caused the blood he received from Hime to overheat his entire body. He could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the room and smell their scents. Was this what Riza felt like during a full moon? Then he sensed another presence approaching but he wasn't the only one. Draven dodged a fireball and turned to see another man enter the mansion with short dark brown hair.

"Enough of this nonsense Draven." The man said and Draven's eyes narrowed.

"You actually have the gall to order me around now Razakel? Please remember who you're talking to." Draven said and Razakel folded his arms.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else instead of messing with her majesty and servants?" The older dragon glared at his sibling.

"I'm sorry, did you just call this phoenix ' _her majesty'_ right in my presence?" Razael noticed the humorless chuckle that accompanied that rhetorical question. "You definitely have gotten much more bold in my prolonged absence. However, you're correct. I do have somewere to go but rest assured that this won't be the last time we see each other. By the way, I expect an answer from you soon."

"An answer to what?" Everyone watched Draven walk towards the double doors.

"An answer on whether or not you'll join me as I restore my place on the throne and resume my reign as the true King of Monsters. I will not allow you to remain neutral any longer little brother." Then Draven turned to Hime. "This was just a formality phoenix. The next time we meet, I will kill you and all of your kind."

"Don't you dare run away coward!" Riza shouted.

"Enough Riza." Hime said and the werewolf grew silent. Draven scoffed and disappeared in a vortex of shadows. The sky outside returned to normal and Razakel sighed.

"My apologies your highness, I should've arrived sooner and my brother made quite the mess." Razakel said and he glanced at Hiro, who was back to normal and had fallen to his knees in exhaustion. The dragon's eyes softened.

"Who the hell are you?" Riza asked and Reiri facepalmed.

"Don't start another fight bitch." Reiri said and Riza glared at her.

"Not like you did shit yourself fang face."

"Fighting that other guy was pointless considering how strong he was. I could sense it but apparently you were too stupid to do so yourself." Riza growled and Razakel cleared his throat. He approached Hime and bowed to her.

"My name is Razakel and the person who just left is my older brother Draven." Razakel said.

"What did he really want with Hiro?" Reiri asked.

"A more important question is what are you?" Hime asked and Razakel's eyes darkened slightly.

"Draven is recruiting an army and wants both myself and Hiro to join so he can take back the throne and title of 'King of Monsters'. As for what we are.." Razakel trailed off and the next sentence was the biggest revelation that had fallen upon them. Even Hime couldn't help but be shocked but no one even came close to what Hiro felt at that moment.

"We are dragons, and Hiro is my son."

Shocked was more of an understatement.

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter. Read and Review!


	3. Chapter 2

Well the whole update once a week was obviously a total failure on my part so it may be pushed back to once every other week for both stories. With that being said, enjoy chapter three.

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No one said a word for quite a while after Razakel revealed what he was and the fact that Hiro is his son. Riza and Reiri turned their concerned gazes at the blood warrior and saw that his face was blank. It was like his brain was still trying to process what was just said. Then Hime mercifully broke the silence.

"I hope you don't expect me to take your claims at face value. Expecially since I'm sure that dragons are extinct." Hime said and Razakel raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh wow, I didn't expect you to know that we even existed in the first place. Only a handful of monsters in the entire Monster Realm knew about my kind but the skepticism is understandable. The problem would be how to adequately prove my draconic blood to you."

"Yeah because you can't." Riza said but Razakel simply chuckled.

"Not that. Transforming into my true form would not only destroy your mansion, but cause the Human Realm to go haywire if I remained in that form for too long."

"What do you mean?" Reiri asked.

"Dragons are just as powerful as the Phoenix but with the Phoenix, its presence can't be comprehended by those mortal beings so its existence is ignored like a ghost. With dragons however, it's the opposite. The Human Realm can't handle our power and when we're in our true forms, all that power we have is unleashed. Every single natural disaster would occur simultaniously which could potentially cause the destruction of the entire human race."

"Okay you have to be lying." Riza said and Razakel turned to her.

"You must've sensed the change in the atmosphere when Draven entered the Human Realm right?" The half-werewolf paused and Reiri just shook her head at the redhead's stupidity.

"So what's happening with Hiro?" Hime asked and Razakel walked over to the young man but Hiro stepped back. The dragon stopped in surprise and Hiro glared at him.

"Stay away from me! You're not my father!" Hiro shouted and Razakel's eyes softened a little. He had expected his son to react this way but it still hurt.

"Hiro, let him take a look at the seal on your chest." Hime ordered and Hiro gritted his teeth before he nodded. Razakel moved closer and analyzed the seal.

"Princess, Hiro died and you resurrected him with your blood correct?" Razakel asked and Hime nodded. "He has consumed enough of your blood over a period of time to weaken the seal I placed on him. My seal is eroding away and his dragon blood is slowly seeping out."

"Hiro's half-dragon?" Reiri asked but Razakel shook his head.

"No he's a pure-blooded dragon. The seal I placed on him suppresses his dragon blood. He was never human to begin with, the seal just makes it so that he's no different than one."

"I've tasted Hiro's blood before and it tasted human." The dragon chuckled.

"Then count yourself lucky that the seal was still going strong when you did. Drinking the blood of a dragon does grant you quite a lot of power but it's at the cost of your sanity. A sip will make you more feral but still sane. Any more than that though, and you'll be reduced to nothing more than a rabid animal that's drunk on power." Reiri cringed at that. Vampires prided on being one of the more civilized of monsters. To be reduced to a level more barbaric than their flea-ridden mortal enemies was an insult to their race. "Eventually your body will burn out from the strain of housing that power and you'll die."

"Geez." Riza said.

"I didn't expect for Hiro to die and for a phoenix to resurrect him though."

"So what will happen to him now?" Hime asked.

"The seal will continue to decay and once his dragon blood gets restored, his life force will return." Razakel said.

"Life force?"

"The part of a dragon's soul that allows us to resurrect ourselves. Until the seal is broken completely, your blood will continue to be used as a substitute for revival. Once it has, Hiro won't need it anymore." Razakel saw Hiro stare at his hands and watched the nails turn into claws. His son didn't have to say anything for the dragon to know what was on his mind.

"Can it be reversed?" Hiro asked and the girls looked at him surprised.

"I could repair the seal, yes. However, you will still require the princess' blood to stay alive and her blood will continue to dissolve the seal so you'll just be put right back in this situation. Plus with Draven back, she's in grave danger and the vampire and werewolf are not strong enough to protect her from him. I understand that this is a difficult time for you but if Hime is to have any chance of surviving this then your dragon blood is needed."

"I...guess."

"Then how about getting rid of the seal?" Riza asked.

"I could do that too but there are pros and cons that you all must be aware of."

"Which are?" Reiri asked.

"By letting the seal dissolve by itself, Hiro's body will slowly become acclimated to his power but that will take time that we definitely don't have. If I remove the seal entirely then the immense surge of power would put the Human Realm in danger but Hime will receive the protection that she needs. I will train Hiro as much as I can before Draven can fully act on his revenge."

"Can't the current phoenix do something?" Riza asked.

"If Draven is as powerful as Razakel says he is then it will prove very difficult for even my father to handle." Hime said.

"Draven has most likely prepared himself for being banished outside of time so that maneuver won't work anymore." Razakel said. "Right now though, our main focus should be on Hiro. What is your decision?"

"I..can't decide right now." Hiro said and he rushed back to his room. Reiri and Riza looked at him sympathetically as they watched him leave.

"His world has changed again so dramatically that he may even have an identity crisis." Riza glared at the dragon.

"Sounds like you don't even care. Though you claimed to be his father, bastard." Razakel narrowed his eyes at her.

"If I didn't care, then I wouldn't be here. I would've let the return of his dragon blood doom the Human Realm." Razakel paused for a few minutes and closed his eyes. "I gave Hiro to be raised by the humans for a reason."

"But why?" Reiri asked but the dragon remained silent.

"Fuga?"

"We don't have a choice. With a huge threat like Draven, we will need Razakel's help." Hime said and she walked to her servant's room. Hiro was sitting on his bed in the dark with a distant look in his eyes. Hime turned on the lights but he didn't seem fazed by it.

"I don't know what to choose. Was everything I knew of a lie?" Hiro asked. "I definitely want to protect you but am I even ready for this change?"

"That's something you have to answer on your own." Hime said and Hiro looked at her.

"Do you really think I can?" The princess gave a 'fufu' and flipped her golden blonde hair. That never failed to mesmerize the young blood warrior.

"Of course, you're my servant after all." Hiro smiled.

"I'll do it then. I'll need this power to protect you." Hime smirked once she saw his hair turn white and his eyes change to yellow-gold in determination. Hiro followed Hime out into the lobby where Riza, Reiri, Flandre, and Razakel were waiting.

"Razakel, remove the seal from me." Hiro said and the dragon looked at Hime. She nodded and he smiled.

"Very well, but not here. We will travel somewhere else."

"Where the hell are we going?" Riza asked.

"Velaris mountain in the Monster Realm. My younger brother will be there to greet us." Razakel's eyes started glowing and a blue and white colored portal appeared.

"Oh my." Reiri said.

"Follow me and stay close." Once everyone stepped into the portal, they saw that they were surrounded by grey skies, grey grass, and white mist. There were several closed rifts floating around and they were spaced randomly away from each other.

"What is this place?" Hime asked.

"We call this The Crossroads. You can go almost anywhere in the Human and Monster Realms from here. We created this space as a safer way to enter and exit the Human Realm so we don't have to use our dragon forms. Of course, some of us got lazy and added rifts to travel around the Monster Realm."

"So this is a pocket dimension then." Hime said. Hiro, Riza, and Reiri looked at her surprised.

"Indeed. It took a year to craft this place and make it stable for travel." Then Razakel turned to Hiro. "Eventually, you'll be able to make something like this yourself."

"Wow." Hiro said and the older dragon opened a rift.

"This way." The group followed him through the rift and the grey scenery was exchanged for a mountain-top view of the Monster Realm.

"That was insane." Riza said. Then she heard the flapping of huge wings and everyone saw a dark blue dragon fly towards them with antler-like horns. Everyone shielded their eyes from the wind as the beast landed. Blue and white energy wrapped around the dragon and its body started shrinking until it was replaced by a human figure. He had short black hair with green eyes, a long-sleeve blue shirt, and black jeans but no shoes.

"Good to see you again Azuriel." Razakel said with a smile, which the younger dragon returned. Then Azuriel turned to Hime and bowed to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you your majesty." Azuriel said and Hime nodded. He straightened up and looked at Hiro. "So I finally get to see my nephew in person this time!"

"Don't start." Razakel said. "We're here to use the temple. I'm going to remove the seal on him. Can it withstand the effects?"

"It can. He may be a dragon but his power hasn't grown in almost two decades. If it can handle my power then it can handle his."

"Very well, to the basement chambers then." Azuriel led the group through the temple halls and down to the basement. The walls were painted beige with light brown pillars and a sandy brown dragon statue with emeralds as the eyes in the back of the room. It was huge for a basement and Razakel escorted Hiro to the middle of the room. There were no windows but there were torches lit along the walls and a fire pit on both sides of the dragon statue. "For the safety of you ladies, please remain next to me at all times. The wayward energy will hit you if you don't."

"Let's begin." Razakel said and his hand started glowing a light grey. Titanium chains burst from the floor and wrapped around Hiro's wrists, ankles, and neck.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Riza shouted but everyone ignored her. Then his other hand started glowing blue and the fingernails extended into claws. He tore open Hiro's shirt and pressed his hand over the boy's heart.

Hiro's eyes widened. As Razakel moved his hand back slowly, the blood warrior could feel himself getting stronger. His body was heating up again and his blood started to boil. As more of the seal retracted from his body, his draconic features started to show. His nails turned into long claws and his teeth into fangs. His eyes turned yellow-gold and his pupils were now slitted. Then Hiro suddenly felt pain as his body began to undergo more drastic changes. His joints popped and bones cracked as they moved around. Not only that, but his strength continued to rise beyond his comprehension. Hiro collapsed and yelled loudly in pain as something started to poke through the back of his shirt and pants. Red and black flames started to dance around him and his eyes were glowing completely. Scales started to form on his skin and dark red horns slowly started to peek out of his brown hair. Hiro's screams turned into inhuman roars as wings burst from his back and the shredded the remains of his shirt lay scattered until the flames devoured them.

Azuriel summoned a wall of vines in front of Hime's group as the fire rose and grew more wild. Razakel removed the final remains of the seal and the flames exploded with power. It thrashed against the vine wall and Razakel looked up as a figure covered in those flames stared down at him. Once he dispersed the fire, Azuriel released the wall and everyone saw there there was a black and red dragon that stood in Hiro's place. It had two sets of dark red horns in the same style as Razakel's dragon form with yellow-gold eyes, dark red spikes running down his back to his tail, and the tip was bladed like his father's as well. His scales were predominately black with his bottom mouth and jaw, the underside of his neck, his chest, belly, wing claws, wing webbing, his palms, the bottom of his feet, and underside of his tail being red. His claws were a silver color and he had an underbite-style head with the chin ending in a sharp point. He bared his crocodile-styled teeth and saliva dripped off of them and his long tongue. His arms had red plates and three curvy red spikes along the backside of his forearm and one large one that was curved slightly on his elbow.

Riza, Reiri, and even Hime were in awe at Hiro's dragon form. He was a bit smaller than Azuriel but that was because he wasn't an adult yet. It wasn't any less impressive though. Those black and red scales covered large amounts of muscle even within his wings. He looked majestic as he spread his wings and gave a roar. He started to struggle against the the iron grasp of the magical chains and Razakel approached him with his horns, wings, and tail visible.

"What's going on now?" Reiri asked.

"Now that Hiro has gained his power as a dragon, his instincts have been brought forth. The constant urges to destroy and dominate. Dragons are also very prideful creatures and he'll fight anyone to show that. Especially another dragon." Azuriel said.

"And he's picking a fight with Razakel." Hime said. Azuriel pressed a button the wall and the ceiling and roof opened up. Razakel released the chains and flew out of the building. Hiro snarled and leaped after him with his wings folded.

"Come, I'm sure you ladies would like to see a casual dragon fight."

"Hell yeah!" Riza shouted with a grin and Azuriel switched to his dragon form. He put the girls on his back, picked up Flandre with one hand, and flew out of the building.

Razakel was now in his dragon form and he was facing off against his son. However, since Hiro never learned how to fly, their fight was restricted to the ground. It wasn't like it mattered though. Not only was Hiro not very strong compared to other dragons his age currently, but he didn't know how to handle the strength he currently had so his instincts are taking charge. Razakel looked out the corner of his eye and saw Azuriel hovering in the air a good distance away from them with the girls riding on his back. They didn't have time for this so he needed to end this quick. Hiro charged forward only for Razakel to spin around and smack him down to the ground with his tail. The girls and Azuriel watched as Razakel easily dodged or blocked all of Hiro's raging and unfocused attacks. Once Hiro started to get tired, the red and gold dragon grabbed a hold of him by his neck and slammed him down . Razakel was almost twice his size and Hiro snarled angrily as his grip overpowered him.

" **I apologize if this fight wasn't as long or flashy as you might've expected but we neither have the time nor can we afford to draw any unwanted attention, especially by any servants of Draven.** " Razakel said and Azuriel landed next to them. He lowered Hime down from his back with his tail and she calmly walked over to the two dragons. Hiro growled at her and Hime glared at him.

"Baring your fangs at me again Hiro?" Hime asked and the stern tone in her voice caused him to stop. Something within his mind and body compelled him to submit to her as her servant. His muscles relaxed and Razakel released his hold on him. Hiro remained on his side as he stared at her. His instincts were retreating and he stood up on his four legs. He could sense large amounts of both charisma and dominance from her despite being no stronger than a human physically. It brought some respect for her to his dragon blood.

" **I-I'm sorry.** " Hiro said and he bowed his head to her in submission.

"Fuga." Riza folded her arms.

"Well that was easy." The half-breed said but Azuriel shook his head.

"The only reason that Hiro was able to return under Hime's control is because Razakel tired him out.

"So if Razakel hadn't done so then Hiro wouldn't have listened to her." Reiri said.

"Indeed. Breaking a dragon's pride and tiring them out will get them to submit to you but it takes quite a lot of effort to do so." Azuriel returned to human form once he put Flandre down and lowered to two girls to the ground.

"Is Hiro back to normal?" Riza asked. Reiri facepalmed and Azuriel chuckled.

" **He's fine. Now the training begins.** " Razakel answered for his brother. Hime was petting Hiro's large nose as a small reward for submitting to her and the gentle growling sound from Hiro signaled that he enjoyed her touch. His reptilian eyes stared softly at her as his feelings for her started to resurface. Razakel looked at them and raised an eyebrow but chose not to say anything.

* * *

Elsewhere, Draven and Jal'zul entered a graveyard pit filled with large bones and the dragon king frowned as he glanced at them all.

"Lanaya, my comrade who was one of the dragons most devoted to my reign. You were defeated by that wretched Phoenix but I have returned to reclaim my throne and bring our race back to the glorious heights that we were before its interference." Draven said and he raised his hands. He whispered a spell as Jal'zul pulled out a sealing crystal. A soul in the shape of a dragon head smoothly exited the small prison and shot towards the bone pit. A bright pillar of light reached towards the sky as the bones reassembled. Then muscles and veins attached themselves to the bones before purple and pink scales reformed over them along with the growth of dark purple broad-shaped horns and fairy-like wings of the same color as her scales. Draven shifted to his dragon form and once the dragon opened its blue eyes, he addressed it. "I have returned Lanaya."

" **Lord Draven?! Wait..** " A female voice that came from the dragon trailed off as she thought for a minute. She didn't know how much she had missed since her temporary death.

" **That overgrown burning chicken banished me outside the currents of time but now the Monster Realm has forgotten about us. Let's give them a little _friendly_ reminder to who the true most powerful beings are.** "

" **So our revenge will finally be realized.** "

"Yes, and master Draven will lead us to victory." Jal'zul said.

" **I like the sound of that.** " Lanaya said. " **But Lord Draven, an adult Phoenix can't die.** "

" **Don't worry, we'll do the same thing it did to you. Seal its soul away before it revives. Now, are you with me?** "

" **Count me in.** "

* * *

There's chapter three. Read and Review!


	4. Chapter 3

I do not own Princess Resurrection or any of the characters. Just my ocs.

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Many weeks had passed since Draven's return and Hiro's change from human to dragon. Both Razakel and Azuriel knew that their older brother was amassing his dragon army but neither one could afford to do much personally to hinder his progress as most of their time and attention were devoted to helping Hiro grow stronger. The young ex-blood warrior had now gained more control of his dragon blood. His element affinity was fire just like his father but that didn't stop him from using other elements like ice and lightning.

Speaking of Hiro, he had changed pretty dramatically during the physical, mental, and magical training that both his father and uncle put him through. His hair had grown slightly longer and he was a few inches taller than Hime. The biggest change was that he was no longer scrawny like before. He now sported a strong and lean muscular body that he was currently showing off as he trained with Riza. He dodged a punch from the half-werewolf and landed a leg sweep. As Riza fell, he flipped her onto her stomach and pinned her to the ground.

"My my, Hiro has grown quite a lot." Reiri said with one of her seductive smiles and she walked over to him. Hiro had also displayed more confidence during his training but still retained some shyness towards women as evidenced by Reiri's current teasing of him. Of course the result of Hiro blushing and Riza yelling was the same as ever. Hime watched as Hiro walked over to her now wearing a black short sleeved shirt along with navy blue jeans and white gym shoes. He gave her one of his signature smiles and the second princess couldn't help but give a small smile in return. He was doing so well with his training and it was all to keep her safe.

' _He has indeed._ ' Hime thought and Razakel approached them.

"Hiro has progressed as fast as I had hoped but Draven has lived for an incredibly long time, even before the very first phoenix existed." Razakel said.

"So don't expect to match him in terms of raw power right?" Hiro asked and even his voice was a little deeper. Razakel chuckled.

"Well, you won't be fighting him alone."

"Like hell he will!" Riza shouted with a grin.

"Fuga." Flandre nodded in agreement. Then Azuriel walked in.

"A dragon has been spotted in the Southern Forest. Further investigation lead to the dragon's name. It's Lanaya."

"Oh, Draven revived her?" Razakel asked and Azuriel shrugged.

"It's not really a surprise brother. She is one of his biggest supporters after all."

"Who's Lanaya?" Hiro asked.

"She's a dragon around the same age as you in dragon years since she was technically killed but Draven revived her. She primarily uses poison when she fights." Razakel said.

"And just like Draven, she thinks all other monsters are inferior." Azuriel said as he folded his arms Then he turned to Razakel. "Do you think she's there to recruit Malzeron?"

"Most likely. However, it won't be easy to find him, let alone convince him to join Draven."

"And who is Malzeron?" Hime asked.

"He's an elder dragon, which is old even by dragon standards. He's been alive before myself and my brothers were even born. He's also a druid and focuses on healing and nature magic." Razakel said. "The mental training that we put Hiro through was the same that Malzeron put myself and Azuriel through."

"I take it Draven obviously skipped those classes." Reiri said and Azuriel laughed.

"Yes, Malzeron is hard to find because he can blend into the forest he lives in. Lanaya knows she's no match for him so I doubt we'll see any violence."

"But we should still go and stop her." Hiro said and Razakel smiled.

"Go ahead Hiro. I'll leave this mission to you." Razakel said and Hiro looked at him surprised.

"Let's go then." Riza said as she grabbed Hiro and dragged him towards the door.

"Such uncouth manners." Reiri sighed.

* * *

Once they were outside, Hiro turned into his dragon form and the girls boarded by using his tail to elevate them onto his back. Then with a strong flap, he took off into the air. Hiro never knew how exhilarating it would feel to fly through the air with his own wings. It seemed like Riza felt the same way judging from the excited shouts coming from her. Flandre held her arms out and shouted 'fuga' as Hiro carried her in one of his hands. Razakel had taught his son how to fly and together they explored some parts of the Monster Realm.

Flashback

 _Hiro let out a roar of excitement as he soared through the air in his dragon form with Razakel by his side in his dragon form as well. The young dragon made a loopty-loop and Razakel's eyes softened as he watched._

 _" **I had that same reaction when I first learned to fly. The feeling of freedom you get when the wind brushes your scales and wings.** " Razakel said._

 _" **This feels great!** " Hiro did a barrel-roll and started flying with his back facing the ground. He stared up at the clouds as they continued flying._

 _" **So Hiro, I take it you have romantic feelings for Hime?** " Hiro almost fell out of the sky at how sudden the topic was brought up._

 _" **I-I..u-um...** " Razakel chuckled when Hiro returned to the right side up position._

 _" **I can tell that you do just from the way you look at her.** " Hiro hid his face and silently thanked his genetics for the black scales hiding his blush._

 _" **Well, um-** " Razakel stared at him in amusement._

 _" **Relax, I have no intention of telling you to get rid of those feelings.** " Hiro looked at him with his eyes widened._

 _" **Really?** " Razakel nodded._

 _" **On the contrary, I approve. Such a thing is unheard of in the entire history of the Monster Realm, especially since most dragons despise phoenixes.** " Then Hiro noticed the older dragon's eyes darken a little. " **The problem is how others will take it if they find out.** "_

 _" **Others like Draven.** " Razakel nodded._

 _" **Definitely. No one despises the phoenixes more than him, and who knows what will happen if she returns your feelings.** " Hiro sighed._

 _" **She doesn't.** " Razakel looked at his son and saw a brief flash of hurt in his yellow-gold eyes._

 _" **And how do you know?** "_

 _" **I just do. I've known Hime for two years and I doubt she will ever feel that way for me.** " Razakel landed on a cliff and Hiro followed. He looked at the red dragon confused until he felt a large hand pat his head between his horns._

 _" **Don't give up so easily Hiro. You never know how things will turn out in the future. Love is unpredictable after all. It can take two people to feel it years upon years later after meeting each other, or it can pop up at first sight. Besides, what if she does have feelings for you? She is good at hiding her emotions.** " Hiro didn't say anything and Razakel continued. " **It's not impossible Hiro.** "_

 _" **Thanks.** "_

 _" **Anytime. Now, shall we continue?** " Razakel started flying again. " **I'll race you back to the temple.** "_

 _" **You're on!** "_

End Flashback

"Hime-sama I have to ask, what if your siblings find out about Hiro?" Reiri asked. The female vampire was sitting closer to Hiro's wings as they would frequently block the harsh light of the sun. "They can't have missed the news about the dragons appearing."

"That is a good question." Hime said. She was fine with telling Sherwood but her other siblings were a different story. Then the princess looked at Hiro. She had no doubts about her servant's loyalty to her but she still needed to be careful, especially around her older sister Silvia.

" **We're here.** " Hiro said and he dove down towards the huge and lusciously green forest. He gently landed next to a giant tree and the girls got off his back. Hiro switched to human form and his eyes started glowing. He had activated 'Dragon Sight' which allowed him to see the auras of nearby living creatures even through walls. He turned to the girls to see that their auras were blue, which meant non-hostile. Then Hiro sensed another presence approaching and saw a red aura move closer and that meant that whoever was coming was hostile. A young woman stepped out from behind a tree and she looked around the same age as them. She had long violet hair and long bangs with dark pink colored eyes. She was wearing a long kimono that matched her hair and eyes in terms of colors and sandy brown sandals. There were red tribal dragons all over the kimono and she glanced at Hiro.

"Oh wow, I didn't expect another dragon to be here. And such a handsome one too." The girl said with a seductive smile.

"Geez she's like a second Reiri." Riza muttered. "This must be that Lanaya chick."

"You!" Lanaya shouted as she glared at Hime. Draven had told her about this phoenix. The one named Hime who dared to enslave someone of her kind when it should be the other way around. That poor dragon next to her was a victim but she will set him free and recruit him to Draven's side.

Hime watched silently as Lanaya's wings sprouted from her back and horns grew from her head. Riza transformed her arms but Hime held out her hand to stop her. Lanaya raced forward with her claws out, only to dodge a black and red bladed tail lash out at her. She looked to see Hiro with his horns and wings showing and he was glaring at her while his tail curled around him. "Hey I'm trying to help you out here! Killing her will set you free!"

"Don't touch her." Hiro said with a growl. Lanaya returned his growl with one of her own and flew straight towards him.

" **That is quite enough!** " A deep and almost elderly voice shouted as vines wrapped around both Hiro's and Lanaya's bodies. They were lifted into the air.

"Hey! Show yourself!" Riza shouted.

"That voice must be Malzeron." Reiri said.

"Hey! Remove your vines from my beautiful kimono!" Lanaya shouted. Suddenly, a huge dragon phased out from inside the trunk of the giant tree. He had bright green scales with dark green webbing in his wings, brown antler-like horns and ocean blue eyes. There was moss hanging on his horns and he had a beard made of leaves.

" **I will not have two dragons fighting in my forest. We all know the massive amounts of destruction it will cause.** " The green scaled dragon said.

"O-Of course Malzeron." Lanaya said and the vines released their captives.

" **Now, for what reason have you all decided to come to me?** " Malzeron asked as he sat down and Lanaya stepped forward.

"As the King of Dragons, Lord Draven summons you to join his army and reclaim his throne as the true King of Monsters." No one said anything as the elder dragon stared at her.

" **As I recall, the Monster Realm was in very poor shape during the time of his rule and my forest was no exception. I have no interest in helping someone like him.** "

"You can't be serious! Lord Draven will come after you if you don't join him!"

" **Then let him come. Not everyone will choose to follow him and if he must learn the hard way then so be it. Unless of course, you wish to force me instead young one.** " Lanaya growled. She knew that she was no match for Malzeron on her own. Her window of opportunity to kill Hime was now closed as well. There was no choice but to retreat and report to Draven. Lanaya made a 'tsk' sound but flew away. Malzeron watched her leave then turned to Hime and her group. " **Now, why are you here?** "

"Well, we came to stop Lanaya from recruiting you." Hiro said.

"But clearly that was unnecessary." Hime said.

" **There was no need to worry your highness, Lanaya knows she can not fight me. I am five centuries her senior. I was alive even before Draven was born.** "

"So if dragons get stronger as they age then aren't you stronger than Draven?" Reiri asked.

" **That is true, but dragons can also acquire power through other means. Draven uses dark magic which makes him stronger the more souls he devours. I find knowledge more important than raw power.** "

"So he is stronger than you." Hime said and Malzeron nodded.

" **Yes, but it is not a loss for me as power can corrupt even the most innocent of people. That is how Draven became the way he is now.** "

"So what? He wasn't always an asshole?" Riza asked.

" **Well, I would not say that but gaining so much power has made him more of one. It will eventually come back to destroy him in time and since we are immortal, we have nothing but time.** "

"No we don't! That overgrown lizard wants to kill Hime and take over the Monster Realm!" Riza shouted and Reiri sighed but she had to agree with the dog on this one. They didn't have time to wait for Draven to 'self-destruct'.

" **I am well aware of Draven's plans. You will need to gather an army yourselves. There were a few dragons who have opposed him before with Azuriel and who knows how many dragons follow Razakel.** "

"Where are they?" Hime asked.

" **Unfortunately, I do not know but ask Razakel. He knows.** " Malzeron looked at Hiro. " **You must be his son, Rankiah.** "

"Who?" Hiro asked and the elder dragon tilted his head a little.

" **Did your father not tell you what your birth name was?** " The young man shook his head. " **What name do you call yourself then?** "

"Hiro."

" **Ah, a human name. From the east if I am not mistaken.** "

"So you guard this forest?" Reiri asked.

" **Indeed. This has been my home for almost two millenniums. Draven's rule left it very weak and scarred. It took me almost a decade to nurse it back to health after your ancestor defeated him.** " Malzeron said as he glanced at Hime. " **Now this forest is a place of peace and healing. It is also a shelter for lost souls who seek my council. Behold!** "

Malzeron's eyes started glowing brightly and so did the lush greenery in response. A large variety of flowers bloomed and petals danced slowly and gracefully to the rhythm of the wind. A sense of calm and peace was over Hiro and the girls. Riza had never felt so relaxed before. Her werewolf blood always gave her so much energy but now it simmered or stilled so much that she could fall straight into a peaceful slumber. Reiri felt like she was relaxing in a warm bath with the sweet aroma of flowers caressing her nose. If she had a glass of virgin blood, she'd be in paradise. Hiro's eyes were half open and glowing softly. It felt like he was on a bed of clouds and they gently carried him through the currents of the aromas that wafted from the flowers. The scent of fruit started to mix in and Hiro licked his fangs. Although she didn't show it like the others, Hime also felt the calming effects of the elder dragon's power. She took a slow and quiet breath as the smell of the fruits and flowers melded beautifully together. The second princess couldn't remember the last time she felt so carefree without the weight of her siblings trying to kill each other hanging over her shoulders. Flandre looked around and tilted her head in confusion. The effects of the forest wore off and everyone was brought back to realty.

"Whoa, what the hell was that?" Riza asked.

" **That is what I like to call 'Aura of Nature'. Its effects are to calm and relax those who are within its radius.** "

"Fuga." Malzeron looked at Flandre.

" **Of course, it does not affect androids. Now, do you seek my council on certain matters? Or are there any questions you have for me?** "

"I'm surprised you didn't attack us or demand that we leave your territory." Reiri said.

" **While it is true that dragons are very territorial monsters, this is a place that is open to all monsters who seek temporary peace and solace from their problems. I protect them and once they leave, they are ready to face their problems with new eyes. Violence is not condoned here and is only used to protect the forest and its inhabitants. Lanaya showed hostility and that is not tolerated.** "

"Razakel said you're a druid." Hime said and Malzeron nodded.

" **Of course your highness. I practice the Way of the Druid but it is not a discipline exclusive to dragons. Anyone can become a druid if they commit to it. However, dragons who practice druid magic are rare because not even many monsters are interested in becoming a druid, let alone dragons. We focus on the element of nature and use it to our own benefit or to the benefit of others. People mostly know that we practice healing and the manipulation of plants and animals but what only a handful of monsters know is that we also practice the art of shapeshifting.** "

"Shapeshifting?!" Riza shouted.

" **Yes, as in turn into other animals at will. Though a majority of monsters don't find that ability appealing for some reason. Some dragons also look down on others who practice healing magic. After all, why do such a thing when you can summon storms or meteors? Dragons practice a wide variety of disciplines that most monsters do not know about or only a small amount practice. Usually dragons prefer using magic but there are some that prefer fighting up close like werewolves. I am sure my student Azuriel knows a few dragons that do that."** Malzeron turned to Hiro. " **Since you are so young, the maximum amount you can learn and master is probably two. You will be able to learn more as you grow into an adult.** "

"What discipline does Azuriel, Razakel, and Draven know?" Hiro asked.

" **All three of them know three. I will tell you Draven's but I am sure you can ask Razakel and Azuriel themselves. Draven has mastered the disciplines Nightstalker, Necromancer, and DeathKnight."**

"What the hell are those?" Riza asked.

" **A Necromancer is someone who uses dark magic to raise the dead. Nightstalkers manipulate the shadows and mostly rely on stealth. DeathKnights use dark magic to strengthen their own natural abilities like strength and speed. They can also heal themselves and grow stronger with every soul they devour."**

"Geez." Reiri sighed.

" **Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. I have no intention of joining Draven. I wish you luck in defeating him. Permanently this time.** "

"Thanks." Hiro said and he shifted to dragon form. The girls boarded his back and he flew off. Malzeron watched them leave and phased back into the great tree.

* * *

Once Hiro landed back at the temple courtyard and Razakel landed next to them.

"I hope your visit went well." Razakel said after Hiro switched back to human form.

"It went better than I thought. So what's our next move?" Reiri asked.

"Azuriel reported that there's a dragon burial site to the west of here. Draven plans to go there to revive one of his generals. We can't let anymore dragons join his army."

"We're finally gonna fight a dragon! I'm getting excited!" Riza shouted with a grin.

"It won't be just any dragon, it will be one of Draven's generals." Azuriel said. "If he succeeds."

"Hey Razakel, can I talk to you?" Hiro asked and his father gave him his attention. "Can you tell me more about the disciplines?"

"So, you want to specialize in a couple disciplines?" Razakel asked and Hiro nodded. "Very well, I'll give you a list. But, be careful choosing which one you want to learn."

"Quite an ominous warning Razakel." Hime said.

"My apologies but it's true. There are some disciplines that can make you power hungry and you'll end up like Draven if you don't have the mental fortitude to withstand its allure."

"Fuga?" Flandre asked as she looked up at Hiro. The young dragon just guessed what she might be asking.

"I'll be careful." Hiro said.

* * *

Elsewhere, an ice demon was running as fast as she could from whatever creature was chasing her. Its huge winged shadow swiftly raced after her, knocking down several trees in its way. It easily dwarfed the shadow of the demon it was chasing. A shadow claw rose from the ground and grabbed the demon's leg, causing her to fall to the ground. She quickly turned over onto her back and watched in fear as the giant winged shadow morphed into a human looking one. Then Draven walked out of the shadows and the ice demon shivered at the power that flowed from his body.

"Come now Shuri, why do you flee the very sight of me?" Draven asked.

"Because I know what you'll do!" Shuri shouted and Draven tilted his head. Then with a burst of speed, he grabbed her by her neck and lifted her off of the ground.

"If you knew then you shouldn't have betrayed your king." Draven said and his eyes started glowing ice blue. Shuri screamed as her soul was slowly ripped straight out of her body and into Draven's now open mouth. He threw her now soulless corpse on the ground and his hands started glowing a dark purple. The body slowly rose from the ground and the ice demon's eyes were now glowing red. Black veins were made visible all over her body. "Now your corpse will serve me for eternity."

* * *

And there's chapter 4, Read and Review!


	5. Chapter 4

Nothing new today except for this new chapter. I'm currently in the process of editing the new Evolve chapter and it will be up next week. Anyway, enjoy and Happy Turkey Day!

* * *

Hiro was flying smoothly and swiftly through the air in his dragon form with the girls on his back. It wasn't until before they left that Hiro started to think about Sawawa and that made him feel a large amount of guilt.

Flashback

 _"By the way Hiro, how is your older sister?" Razakel asked and Hiro's eyes widened._

 _"Oh crap." Hiro said and the older dragon raised an eyebrow. "How am I gonna explain that I'm a dragon to her? Aren't I immortal now? What if she catches me using my abilities? What if-"_

 _"Calm down Hiro." A smooth voice said and the two dragons saw Hime walk towards them._

 _"Her majesty is correct. You don't need to explain what you are to her currently." Hiro had a look of confusion on his face. "You're not an adult dragon yet so you will continue to age physically until you reach adulthood."_

 _"As far as her catching you using your powers, tell her it's a magic trick or something." Azuriel said and Hiro sighed._

 _"You won't have to worry about any of that for now. We'll figure something out." Hime said and a small blush crossed his cheeks. Razakel chuckled._

 _End Flashback_

"So what kind of dragon are we gonna fight?" Riza asked. The sun was starting to set and they were getting closer to the burial site.

"Razakel said this one is an earth dragon but expect him to be able to use other elemental abilities." Hime said and she glanced at the two holstered pistols strapped around her waist. As powerful as dragons are, she couldn't afford to fight in close quarters and that was only if the dragon decided not to fight from the air. Hiro landed softly on the ground but no one dismounted which was the better option if they were to help fight this dragon. The young dragon started to walk around as everyone warily scanned the surroundings for any signs of their enemies. Hiro seemed the most nervous and despite the fact that he was in his dragon form, the girls could tell by his body language. They could feel the tension in his muscles, his wings fidgeted but remained folded by his sides, and his tail was very close to his hind legs.

"Calm yourself Hiro." Hime said and her servant slightly turned his head to her.

" **S-Sorry Hime. I'm just nervous.** " Hiro said.

"I can see that."

"Fuga." Flandre said and an intense look crossed Hiro's eyes. They started glowing and the girls could sense a disturbance in the air. It practically vibrated with power and Hiro moved towards the source.

There was Draven in his dragon form hovering above the dragon burial mound. Dark purple energy coalesced in his clawed hands and his eyes started glowing. He thrusted his hands forward and the dark energy surged into the dragon bones. Then the dragon king pulled out a crystal and a dragon soul fled from its prison into the bones. The girls and Hiro watched as the bones assembled themselves. Large muscles and blood vessels formed over the bones and finally brown scales formed over that. Thick, dark brown bull-like horns protruded from his head. There were also smaller ram-shaped horns below them. His body was almost entirely covered in rock plating and spikes. The only parts that were uncovered were his underbelly and throat. The most noticeable thing about this dragon was that it had no wings. It roared after it was completely brought back to life. It opened its green eyes and stared up at Draven.

" **My lord Draven, it is good to see you have returned.** " The dragon said.

" **Yes, and I intend to take back what's rightfully mine. Will you join me?** " Draven asked.

" **Of course your majesty. My loyalty to you still remains strong.** " The dragon said as he bowed his head to his king and Draven glanced towards Hime's group.

"Well, he clearly knows we're here." Reiri said.

" **Indeed I do vampire. Salamir, destroy them.** " Draven ordered and flew away.

" **As you command, my lord.** " Salamir said to himself as he turned to face his opponents.

"Hey Hiro, this guy has no wings. He'll be easy to take down if we stay in the air." Riza said and Reiri raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? Are you actually thinking strategically dog?" Reiri asked and Riza glared at her. Hiro nodded and rose into the air but Salamir grinned as he looked up at them.

" **Do you lesser monsters really think that strategy will work on me? Just because I have no wings does not mean I can't fly.** " Salamir said. Wind started to surround his limbs and he was lifted into the air.

"What the hell?!" Riza shouted.

"Dragons can learn a variety of magic. If Hiro can learn other elements then so can every other dragon." Hime said.

"And good luck trying to punch through those plates flea bag." Reiri said and Riza growled.

"Those won't stop me!" Riza shouted and Salamir growled.

" **Enough of your insignificant chatter! By my lord's command, you all shall perish!** " Salamir shot a dozen earth spikes at them. Hiro folded his wings and dodged the attacks. Salamir flew after him and continued to shoot rock spikes at them.

"Hold on!" Hiro shouted and he did a barrel roll as he dodged more spikes.

" **Are you too afraid to fight me hatchling? You won't protect your mistress like this traitor.** "

Hiro growled and turned around. He shot a blast of fire but the older dragon dodged. The girls were holding onto his plates and spikes as he did aerial acrobatics to avoid the attacks. Then Salamir shot needle thin rock spikes and Hiro used his forearm to block a few that were aimed at Hime. He snarled in pain as a few of the spikes pierced through his arm. He used his other hand to summon a lightning bolt and threw it at Salamir. However, the earth dragon blocked it with the plates on his arm. Then he laughed when they saw that there wasn't even a scratch.

"Have you forgotten what Razakel taught you already Hiro?" Hime asked. "Earth dragons are resistant to electricity."

" **Actually, I was aiming for his exposed throat.** " Hiro said sheepishly and Hime was actually a little surprised. She smirked and moved a strand of hair from her face. She drew one of the pistols and started shooting. A couple bullets managed to hit Salamir and he snarled in both rage and surprise as the bullets burned through his scales. He growled as his muscles contracted and pushed the foreign objects out.

" **You dare use Dragonbane against me, filthy phoenix?! Such cowardice!** " Salamir shouted. He summoned a large rock hand and it grabbed Hiro by his foot. He was suddenly pulled to the ground and the girls fell off his back from the impact. Hiro quickly stood up and jumped in the way of Salamir's tackle. The two dragons tumbled down a hill and the girls stood up.

"Like hell I'm sitting this one out!" Riza shouted and she ran after them with her arms transformed. She jumped on Hiro's tail and he swung her at Salamir. She landed a punch on his head and the earth dragon took a couple of steps back. Riza looked at her hand and winced when she saw that her fingers were broken and bleeding but her healing would take care of it. Salamir raised several earth pillars and thousands of spikes formed on them. Hiro's eyes widened and he used his wings to propel himself towards the girls. He wrapped his wings under his belly and curled himself around the girls just as the earth dragon roared. The spikes shot towards them and Hiro growled as they hit his scales and plates. He concentrated some magic in his throat and let it build up in power as he shielded the girls. Then he turned his head and released a force blast that knocked all the spikes back towards Salamir. The older dragon immediately dug into the ground to dodge.

"Riza, Reiri, get on Hiro's back." Hime ordered as Hiro lifted her and Flandre onto the back of his neck. Hiro immediately understood what she meant. He could feel the tremors of Salamir traveling underground. Reiri floated onto Hiro's back and Salamir burst from the ground close to Riza, causing the half-breed to be launched into the air. The earth dragon opened his jaws and lunged at Riza with the intent to devour her alive. Hiro flew towards him and kicked him away with both of his feet. Then he grabbed Riza and put her on his back. He landed on the ground just as Salamir stood up. Hime reloaded her pistols and Hiro growled. "You won't be able to break through his plate armor Riza."

"Shit." Riza said as she checked on her injured paw and Reiri rolled her eyes.

"Hiro, create an opening for me. I need either his throat or his underbelly exposed." Hime said and Hiro realized that it had been quite a while since they worked together to take down a strong opponent.

" **Got it.** " Hiro said and his muscles tightened as his body coiled like a spring. He snarled and leaped towards Salamir.

" **Ha! Using such a tactic while you have your pathetic mistress on your back? You underestimate me hatchling. Such disrespect.** " Salamir said and he charged towards them.

"Hiro, please watch what you're doing. I'd rather not get crushed under you." Reiri said.

"Not like you can get crushed since you can turn into a swarm of flying rodents." Riza said and Reiri glared at her. The sudden turn of Hiro's body forced the two to hold on tight and the young dragon's body collided with Salamir. Hiro grabbed him by his neck and arm but he knew that the older dragon was stronger than him. He could feel the earth dragon start to overpower him until Hime climbed on top of his head and shot Salamir right in the head. He let out a roar of pain and Hiro saw Salamir's tail slam on the ground. An earthspike shot up and impaled Hiro in the stomach. He spat out blood and Hime's eyes widened.

" **Now, you die phoenix.** " Salamir said and he readied an ice breath attack. Then Hiro snarled and bared his fangs. Hime shot at Salamir again and Hiro lunged forward. His slitted pupils were intense and dilated. A loud crunching sound of blood and muscles echoed and Salamir's eyes widened. The ice dissipated from his mouth and was replaced with blood that started to seep out from between his fangs. Riza and Reiri stared in shock. Hiro had bit into Salamir's throat and the earth dragon collapsed but Hiro still held on. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded Salamir and moved towards Hiro. Then a dragon soul exited Salamir's body through his eyes and mouth and entered into Hiro's body. His eyes widened as a wave of knowledge entered his brain that Hiro didn't notice Reiri or Riza calling his name. His jaws clamped down harder on his dead opponent's throat and more blood squirted out in response.

"Hiro! Enough!" Hime commanded and a pulse rang throughout the dragon's mind. Hiro finally blinked and dropped the carcass. He backed up a little and shook his head.

"Yo Hiro, you okay?" Riza asked but Hiro didn't respond. He just stared at the dead dragon in shock at the satisfaction he felt when he killed him. Salamir's blood dripped down his fangs and to the ground.

"Take us back to the temple Hiro." Hime said and when Hiro started taking off into the air, a look of concern crossed her eyes. That was very out of character for her servant but she knew the cause. It was his dragon blood.

* * *

After they had arrived at Azuriel's temple, the two older dragons could already guess what happened just from the dragon blood coating Hiro's mouth and the vacant gaze in his eyes. Azuriel and Razakel exchanged worried looks as the younger dragon retreated into the building.

"I will take care of this." Hime said and she followed him inside.

The second princess found him in the basement in an indian-style position as he tried to meditate to keep the savagery within his dragon blood in check. His breathing was still erratic after experiencing that minor form of bloodrush. He heard the heels of Hime's boots click as she moved closer to him. No one said anything for a little while until Hiro broke it.

"I thought I would be prepared for that but.." Hiro trailed off but Hime remained silent. "It wasn't nearly as strong as Azuriel said it could be but, I could feel it washing over me. The..pleasure of killing Salamir and taking his power for myself."

"Yes, I do remember reading that in Azuriel's library. The most you can do is try not to let it get to you. Don't worry too much about it." Hime said and Hiro stood up.

"How can you say that? If it had been any worse, I could've attacked you! I could've-" Hime placed a finger on his lips to silence him and Hiro blushed at the contact.

"Calm down Hiro. I anticipated it." Hiro looked at her confused as she removed her finger. "I read a couple books about dragons."

Flashback

 _Hime was sitting in a large leather chair reading a book. She had found the blue dragon's library with books that she hadn't even heard of before. Some were fiction but the ones that she was more interested in were the ones that were about dragons such as their biology, culture, and disciplines. The book that Hime was currently reading was about their nature and their development from hatchling to adulthood._

 _"I see you're quite interested in my kind your highness." Azuriel said as he walked into the room. Hime didn't bother looking up._

 _"Of course. I thought your species were extinct after all. There are no other books on dragons."_

 _"What you won't find in any of these books in our biological weakness." Hime raised an eyebrow as she looked up from the book._

 _"Oh? I wasn't aware dragons had one." Azuriel snorted._

 _"We do. Just like silver is deadly to werewolves and white ash stakes are deadly to vampires, dragons have one. And since both my brother and nephew trust you, I'll share that knowledge with you. It's called Dragonbane." Hime rolled her eyes at the name._

 _"Obviously." Azuriel laughed._

 _"Yes but despite the obvious name, it is the truth. Dragonbane is an incredibly rare plant that used to grow in the dense rainforests of the Monster Realm."_

 _"Used to?"_

 _"When Draven was still the King of Monsters, he ordered his armies to track down and destroy every last one of those plants. However, a pure-blooded vampire hoarded some for himself and grew them privately in his home. Legend says that drops of dragon blood warped the plants and they mutated to fight off the mystic properties of our blood. But luckily, someone still grows them and they can be forged into weapons."_

 _"Who is this person?"_

 _"Her name is Safiria. She's a vampire and a friend of mine. During the Phoenix-Dragon war, I approached her grandfather and commissioned a couple monsters to weaponize Dragonbane for your ancestor's army. I have a few Dragonbane bullets left for you to use but if you want more then you'll have to visit her and another person. Just let her know that I sent you. I'll let you know more later." Hime nodded and returned to her reading._

End Flashback

"I've already read a few subjects regarding when a dragon first defeats another. You absorbed Salamir's soul and gained more power and knowledge. What have you learned?" Hime asked and Hiro scratched his head.

"I learned a few earth spells but I already know the ice breath one. Also.."

"What is it?"

"I also saw his memories from before the war. All those horrible things he did under Draven's rule, the monsters who suffered, and the underground village of earth dragons that he came from. I don't know if it's still around though." Hime noticed his eyes dilate and his fists clenched. Those memories clearly had an effect on him and his nails lengthened into claws. Hime cupped his face and forced him to make eye contact with her. His eyes had changed into their draconic ones.

"Hiro, snap out of it." Hiro stared into the beautiful ruby red eyes of his princess and he mentally clung to her voice as if it was a life boat in the poisonous waters of those memories. Hiro reached up and held her hands against his face. He started to calm down and Hime stared into his eyes. They were still in their draconic state and they were glowing slightly but there was a softness in them that was new yet familiar. When Hiro's eyes glowed like that, it seemed like a pool of golden colored water swirling and spinning around his slitted black pupils like whirlpools. All this time, Hime never knew how hypnotizing a dragon's eyes could be. The young phoenix smiled a little then removed her hands. To think that her servant could make her feel this way and it was unintentional on his end. Both of them noticed how much closer they had moved towards each other and Hiro jumped back. Hime smirked at his reddened face.

"How is your injury?" Hime asked and Hiro looked down at his stomach.

"O-Oh I um, it actually fully healed after I killed Salamir." Hiro said and Hime raised an eyebrow. She already knew dragons healed faster than most monsters but she didn't know that it would be that fast. Though he would probably still be injured if he hadn't absorbed Salamir's soul.

"Anyway, we have a couple of places to visit."

"What? Where?" Hiro tilted his head slightly in confusion as his eyes returned to normal.

"There's a vampire alchemist in Snake's Canyon and a weretiger blacksmith in Daemarrel that we need to see. You and I will leave for Snake's Canyon first." Hiro paused for a second as the information sunk in.

"Wait, 'you and I'? As in just you and me?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Hiro blushed.

"N-No, no problem at all."

"Good. Let's go talk to Azuriel before we leave." Hime turned around and left he room with Hiro right behind her. Azuriel was waiting for them in the foyer. "Azuriel, tell us more about this blacksmith."

"Of course. His name is Diego and as you already know, he lives in Daemarrel. He owns the shop Diego's Weapons and it's not hard to find. He's a pretty cheerful and upbeat kind of guy, though a bit on the crazy side." The blue dragon turned to Hiro. "I'd highly recommend keeping your draconic features hidden."

"Okay." Hiro said.

* * *

Hime and Hiro arrived at Snake's canyon and a bat greeted them at the door to a medium sized house. It was styled a Gothic Victorian with vines and moss clinging to some parts of the building. The door opened to reveal a long silver-haired woman with some of her hair pulled into a ponytail at the top and completely down at the bottom. She was wearing a black long sleeve silk shirt with a red corset, black slim jeans, and black thigh high heeled boots. Her red eyes glanced between the two people at her door.

"My my, it's not everyday that I get visitors. Especially a princess of the Monster Realm." The woman said. "What can I do for you your highness?"

"Azuriel sent us Safiria. We need more Dragonbane." Hime said and Safiria's eyes widened.

"I had no idea you even knew dragons still exist, let alone have an association with one." Safiria moved aside. "Come in."

"Thanks." Hiro said as they both walked inside. They followed the vampire through her house and into a hallway. She pressed a hidden pressure plate and a doorway opened up. On the other side was a huge and spacious room with very large windows. A quarter of the room was a small library filled with books on hundreds of plants and herbs. Then the other three quarters were where the plants and herbs were held like a greenhouse. There was a noticeable change in temperature and there were several plants separated with their own areas to grow and prosper.

"The plant you need is here. May I ask how you know Azuriel?"

"He is Hiro's uncle." Hime said and Safiria turned to the young man standing before her.

"And this dragon is your servant?"

"Yes." Safiria smirked.

"Very interesting." Hime and Hiro watched her walk to the back corner of the room and carefully extracted some Dragonbane. Once it was in range, Hiro's nose started burning and his eyes watered.

"I'm surprised you didn't question if we were lying." Hiro said and he sneezed.

"Well for one thing, you're a dragon. I've been around a few dragons to familiarize myself with their scents. Second, very few people know about the existence of dragons and even fewer know their names." Safiria said as she moved over to her alchemist table. Hime and Hiro took the time to look around as the vampire silently working on making a few potions for them. After about an hour and a half, she placed the newly made potions in a leather bag and handed them to Hime. "Diego will be able to infuse the Dragonbane into his weapons."

"Thank you." Hime said and Safiria nodded.

"Anytime princess."

* * *

I'm cutting there for right now and next chapter will have more of Draven and his cohorts. Bye guys and Read and Review!


	6. Chapter 5

God I'm so tired. Here's the new chapter and I don't know if pure blood vampires are considered undead or not in the PR universe but in this story, they're not. Anyway enjoy!

* * *

Lanaya had returned to the hideout to report her failure to her king. Surprisingly, Draven didn't seem surprised by it. Malzeron's primary concern was his precious forest and the dragon king had expected the druid's refusal to join his side. So far, Draven had managed to revive and recruit ten dragons and they were all gathered together in the main hall. Lanaya was on her hands and knees bowing to Draven; who was sitting on his throne.

"To think that you squandered the opportunity to kill that phoenix." Draven said and Lanaya flinched at how annoyed his tone was but he sighed afterwards. "However, I do acknowledge how much of a disadvantage you had in your situation so I'll let this slide. But I won't be so merciful next time."

"Of course my lord." Lanaya said and Draven rested his head on his hand.

"So where should we start first Lord Draven?" A blonde-haired man asked.

"We start by conquering as many territories as possible and I will continue to resurrect more of our comrades. The current Phoenix can't have missed my return and I want to gather as many of us as possible."

"I'll start with King's Watch. The ports there will be perfect for me." A blue-haired woman said.

"I will take New Cresthill. It will be no different than the old one when I'm done with it." A silver-haired man said with a grin and Draven nodded.

"Grab as much attention as possible. I want everyone to know that dragons are back." Draven said.

"And we will take back what rightfully belongs to you, your majesty." A black-haired woman said.

"They will learn to fear us once more." Lanaya said and Draven smirked.

* * *

In the small city of Daemarrel, Hime and Hiro silently passed through the streets. The ex-blood warrior looked around at all the stores and houses that lined up and his sensitive hearing picked up the banging of metal upon metal a few yards away. The citizens stopped what they were doing and bowed to the second princess as she made her way to the blacksmith's shop. Hiro lightly jogged over to her once they reached the door. As soon as he opened it, a dagger flew straight at Hime. Hiro reached out with great speed and caught the dagger in midair by the handle.

"Ahahaha! Good to see this young hot breath actually has reflexes!" A gruff voice shouted.

' _Hot breath?_ ' Hiro didn't know if that was just a random insult or if this guy knew he could breath fire. Wait, does he know that he's a dragon?

"Oh don't look like that youngling. Meant nothing bad behind it honestly." A large and muscular man with several scars of many different sizes walked into view. He had a shaved head with ocean blue eyes, a white t-shirt, blue jeans with holes in the knee areas, dark brown gloves, sandles, and a lit cigar in his mouth. He blew out the smoke and grinned at the two. "Welcome! My name's Diego Carter but none of that Mr. Carter crap. Diego is just fine."

"I assume you know why we're here." Hime said and Diego bowed to her.

"Of course your highness. I've already heard from Azuriel. So Draven has returned from timeout and is now throwing a temper tantrum because he got outsmarted. You have the Dragonbane yes?"

"Yes." Hiro said and he handed the bag to the weretiger.

"Oh~ Yes~, I shall fashion some nice strong bullets from these fine specimens." Hime and Hiro watched him fawn over the plant as he eagerly got to work.

"How much do you know about the dragons?" Hime asked and Hiro looked at her confused.

"Eh? Um..nothing that Azuriel hasn't told you. I wasn't born until after the Phoenix-Dragon War so I only know what others have told me. The whole Monster Realm was in ruins at that time. Long story short, it sucked." Hime sighed and Hiro just awkwardly chuckled. "Are you wondering if Azuriel lied to you?"

"Him and Razakel." Diego halted his work.

"R-Razakel?! He's back?!" Hime raised an eyebrow.

"You know about Razakel? He's Hiro's father." Diego looked at the young dragon next to her with wide eyes.

"Oh! Oh wow!" The weretiger cleared his throat and continued working. "I've only met Razakel once but I could tell how powerful the guy was. He stayed out of the war for some reason but it probably was a good one."

"You make it sound like you met him more than once." Hiro said.

"Well, you can sometimes get a 'feel' for a person after meeting them for the first time. He didn't talk much but he seemed like a good guy. He leads his own clan in isolation from the rest of society and judging from a dragon's very nature, it's a good idea."

"He keeps others isolated?"

"Azuriel told me that Razakel lets them venture out and explore the rest of the world but only after he's sure they won't cause any trouble."

"Anything else?" Hime asked as Diego cooled the metal.

"Let's see, I heard his wife sometimes travels around the Monster Realm. I haven't met her but she's a rare breed of dragon."

"His wife?" Diego noticed the look on Hiro's face.

"Aye. Your mother of course." Hime glanced at Hiro and changed the subject.

"So you really believe they want to help us?" Hime asked.

"Definitely. I know it's hard to believe but Azuriel, Razakel, and the dragons that follow them are not your enemies. Draven will bring ruin again and that's something that even they don't want." Diego placed the finished bullets in a box and hand it to Hiro. "Good luck my friends."

* * *

"So he's recruited more dragons." Azuriel said as he leaned against the wall.

"It seems more like he's gathering the dragons who were loyal to him from the start." Reiri said and Razakel nodded.

"Fuga." Flandre said as she pointed to the door that just closed. Azuriel smiled once Hime and Hiro entered the room.

"Razakel, we heard from Diego that Hiro's mother is still alive." Hime said everyone looked at the eldest dragon.

"She is." Razakel said and Hiro glared at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Hiro shouted.

"It wasn't something that I intended to keep from you. I've been more focused on training you and keeping track of Draven's movements." Razakel sighed and gestured to the door. "Walk with me Hiro."

The father and son pair took a walk around the large courtyard and no one said a word for a while. Then Razakel spoke up.

"It's the truth Hiro. I've been so busy that I.." Razakel sighed. "She's been asking about you too."

"She has?" Hiro's voice held some emotion and it was barely above a whisper.

"Yes. Kunaria has even gone to the Human Realm to watch over your progress."

"Diego said she's a rare breed of dragon." Razakel nodded.

"She's a spirit dragon. She has the ability to go to the Spirit Realm at will and can even turn ethereal. The souls of the dead that have been judged unfavorably are given to her and others of her kind to be devoured."

"I-I want to meet her."

"Of course. We'll go and I'm sure the girls would like to meet your mother as well."

"But where is she?"

"The Zephyr Isles. They can't be reached by normal means. It's the place where my clan and I have lived in isolation for several centuries." Razakel turned around. "Come, it is time to see your mother."

Azuriel and the girls met the two outside and Razakel turned into his dragon form. Azuriel and Hiro did the same and the girls climbed on Hiro's back. Razakel opened a portal and flew straight through it with the others following. Once they exited the portal, Hiro and the girls looked in awe at a floating set of five giant islands in the sky. There were a few dragons flying around and they landed on the island in the middle of the group that was bigger than the others. There was a pale skinned woman with long white hair and brown eyes standing outside a huge house waiting for them. She was wearing a long sleeve black blouse with a long white skirt and black knee high heeled boots. Razakel switched back to human form and kissed his wife. Azuriel was next to go to human form and he gave Kunaria a hug. The girls dismounted and Hiro went back to human form. He just stood there as Kunaria walked towards him with a gentle smile.

"Look at you Rankiah, my little hatchling. You've grown so much." Kunaria said as she hugged him.

Hiro didn't know how he should feel. He still thought of the human woman that raised him as his mother but he also felt a connection with this female dragon. It was another thing that worried him in regards to who he was.

Hiro? Or Rankiah?

"I have no intention of replacing the human that raised you so don't worry." Her whisper was so soothing that it immediately calmed him down. Hiro returned the embrace and it felt strangely familiar. He didn't realize that his grip had tightened and tears started streaming down his eyes.

"Mom." Hiro whispered and Kunaria held him tighter in response. She gently stroked his hair and once they broke the hug, she wiped his tears.

"Come, we can talk more inside." Kunaria said and Razakel led them to the huge house.

"So where the hell are we?" Riza asked.

"Fuga." Flandre said as she looked around.

"Is this another pocket dimension?" Hime asked.

"It is. All of the dragons that live here maintain its stability." Razakel said.

"Does Draven know about this place?" Reiri asked.

"He does but he can't get here. It's similar to knowing where someone lives but not having the keys to unlock the door." Kunaria said. "Razakel, who has Draven revived so far?"

"Tyrinov, a lightning dragon. Vitaara, a water dragon. And Morenth, a wind dragon. I haven't received word on the others yet."

"You do have some dragons that can fight right?" Riza asked and Razakel raised an eyebrow.

"Only hatchlings can't fight. I can gather plenty of dragons who would be willing to help." Kunaria clapped her hands together.

"Alright then, I'll prepare some rooms."

Later in the evening, Hiro stood on one of the many balconies among the house. The sound of small footsteps drew his attention from the sunset. He turned to see an eight-year-old girl with shoulder lengh white hair and green eyes. She wore a pink short sleeve shirt with a yellow flower in the middle, a white skirt, and no shoes. There was a long white and gold dragon tail trailing behind her from underneath her skirt. She leaped onto the balcony rail and stared at him curiously.

"Hi." Hiro said and the little girl smiled brightly.

"Hiii! Who're you?" the girl asked.

"My name is Hiro." Hiro didn't say his name as confidently as he used to. He was unsure about whether he should keep the name Hiro or change it to Rankiah. The girl didn't seem to notice his inner turmoil.

"Hi Hiro. I'm Nelarith." Hiro smiled.

"Nice to meet you Nelarith. You look like-"

"Nela's mama. She knows, everyone says that." Hiro raised an eyebrow. It was strange to hear someone speak in third person. Then Kunaria materialized next to them; scaring both young dragons half to death. "Mama! You scared us!"

"My apologies Nela. I see you finally met your big brother." Kunaria said with a giggle. Nelarith's eyes sparkled as she smiled even brighter than before and her tail wagged.

"Hiro is Nela's big brother?!" Hiro winced as the little girl shouted even louder than before.

"Please quiet down Nela." Nelarith nodded at her mother's scolding. Then she jumped into Hiro's arms and clung to him like a koala bear.

"Any other siblings I should know about?" Hiro asked and Kunaria laughed.

"Not currently." Hiro grew quiet afterwards and the woman glanced at him. "What troubles you?"

"It's nothing. I just have some things to figure out."

"Like what?" Hiro looked down at Nelarith who was snuggling up to his chest and yawning. It was almost time for her to go to bed.

"Who I am."

"Both your father and I understand how hard it is for you. Don't think of Hiro and Rankiah as two different people."

"But they are." Kunaria moved closer to him. "One is human and the other is a dragon. Rankiah is my birth name but Hiro is the name I grew up with."

"I know. Just use whichever one you're more comfortable with. But they are the same, Rankiah is who you are by blood but Hiro is who you are at heart and that is what Razakel and I hoped for.

"Why did you give me away to a human family?" Kunaria sighed.

"I don't know if you've been told about a dragon's nature but it is the reason why we isolate ourselves."

"To destroy and dominate right?" Kunaria nodded.

"That is what keeps us from living in peace with others not of our race. Have you felt it?"

"Not as much as I thought I would and when it does come up. It doesn't bother me much."

"Even spirit dragons like myself experience it but only towards spirits and the undead." Hiro gently handed a sleeping Nelarith to her. "Razakel and I believe that since you were raised by humans, it's been tempered down to a more than manageable state. You are living proof of the progression that we need to move towards a brighter future. Besides, you know what it's like to be mortal which gives you a more grounded view of the world."

"Isn't Razakel teaching that to the others?"

"To temper their nature down then yes. But it took at least a hundred years to teach a fully grown dragon how to create the leash and centuries more to keep a firm hold on their nature through daily meditations." Hiro looked at her wide-eyed. "And a few of them regress from time to time."

"That long?!"

"Unfortunately, we tend to be even more stubborn than werewolves." Hiro smiled at the joke. "Anyway, I'm going to put Nelarith to bed."

"Thanks, Mom." Kunaria smiled and gave him a hug with one arm.

Unfortunately, the city of New Cresthill won't be able to rest easy. There was a huge shadow flying overhead and getting bigger. The same could be said about King's Watch except the shadow was lurking in the waters but without wings. The citizens were in for a rude awakening.

* * *

There's chapter six! Read and Review while I go fall into a coma real quick XD


	7. Chapter 6

Whew! Here's another new chapter for all of you to enjoy! Oh by the way, if you've ever played Jak 3 then the wings of spirit dragons are the same as Light Jak.

* * *

Hime and Flandre were taking a walk around Razakel's island and observing the many dragons that were flying around. However the second princess noticed that several dragons were congregated in an area several yards away on the third island. It was pretty early in the morning and both Riza and Reiri were still asleep but Hiro was nowhere to be found.

"Good morning princess." A smooth female voice said and Hime turned her head slightly to see Kunaria walking towards her.

"Good morning. What's going on over there?" Hime asked.

"My mate and son are training right now. They've never seen Razakel train someone in combat before. I can fly you there if you like."

"Fuga." Flandre nodded.

"Alright." Hime said and Kunaria's wings slowly appeared out of her back. They looked ethereal and were colored white with a light blue tint. They swayed softly in the wind. She wrapped an arm around Hime's waist and held Flandre's hand. They quietly flew over to the third island and once they landed, the other dragons moved to the side to make room for them. There was Hiro with his draconic features showing and so was Razakel. Both were shirtless to make room for their wings and Hiro was breathing a little hard. There was a small sheen of sweat on his body and Hime noticed that there were a few female dragons staring at Hiro with interest.

"I see you noticed how much attention my son is now getting from other girls. The fact that he's Razakel's son increases their interest even more." Hime remained silent. Hiro dodged another stream of fire and one spike on both of his forearms turned into long wrist blades. All of a sudden, his body was coated in fire and Razakel nodded his head in approval.

"What's happening now?"

"Razakel is teaching Hiro his first chosen discipline. Way of the Ravager." Kunaria said and Hime looked at her.

"Ravager?"

"A dragon's version of a Berserker. Fundamentally, it's the same with a couple differences as you can see. He's cloaked in flames to damage enemies and two of his spikes turn into blades." The two watched as Hiro attacked. He moved faster and his attacks were stronger. "However, Hiro should be careful. If he uses his ravager abilities while he's injured then he could die."

"Fuga?" Flandre looked up at the spirit dragon curiously.

"During the ravager state, his body will numb any pain that he would feel otherwise. This is a dangerous discipline that Hiro has chosen. He could easily bleed to death if he's not paying attention." Kunaria said. Suddenly, and earth dragon leaped over them and trotted to Razakel. He whispered something in his ear and Razakel nodded. The flames on Hiro's body dispersed when he saw his father's concerned eyes. Then he heard a few whistles and looked to see a few female dragons wave and smile at him. Hiro blushed and scratched the back of his head with a shy smile.

Then it came. An unfamiliar feeling that had made itself known within the depths of Hime's heart and it was fighting its way to the front. It felt like a thin bone-like hand had slowly wrapped its fingers around her heart and gently started to squeeze. The second princess narrowed her eyes but nothing else was shown on her face. Of course Hiro wasn't used to so much attention from the female gender. Reiri's teasings were just that and nothing more, Riza didn't display anything more than friendship and if she did then even the half-werewolf was unaware. Hime knew that she herself rarely showed any interest in anything and though she did understand that, she felt annoyed at the sight but she was unsure as to why. Or at least, that's what she thought.

Kunaria on the other hand, knew exactly what it was. She noticed the look in Hime's eyes but chose to keep quiet. The young phoenix was very smart and it never took long for her to figure things out. Whether that included her own emotions though wasn't something the spirit dragon was sure about. She knew about her sons feelings for the princess and Hime may even start to feel the same, but right now it seemed like the phoenix was trying to ignore it. Ignore the budding jealously within her heart. Flandre was also looking at her master curiously. Even the android had never seen her look like that before. Luckily Hiro noticed their presence so he put his shirt on and walked over. He briefly made eye contact with Hime but she quickly broke it and he flinched. Did he do something wrong?

"We have reports on two dragons attacking two different towns. No doubt its Draven's clan trying to reclaim territory." Razakel said as he walked over. "Azuriel has already gone ahead to King's Watch."

"Hiro, wake Riza and Reiri." Hime ordered and her servant nodded.

"I'll come along as well." Razakel said. "I'm sure Draven has caught on to our rebellion and may want to make an appearance."

"I would be surprised if he did. He usually finds such grunt work beneath him." Kunaria said.

"Yet he showed himself when he intruded upon my home." Hime said. "All because he wanted Hiro."

"Well he is our son. Spirit dragons are rare but dragons born from them, even moreso." Razakel said.

"Hiro may have inherited some abilities from me, though whether he can unlock them before we face Draven has yet to be seen." Kunaria said.

"Yo Hime." Riza yawned as she walked over with Reiri and Hiro. Both girls looked tired but Riza showed it more.

"There are a couple dragons we need to take care of. Draven might show up as well." Hime said and Riza's eyes widened. She was fully awake now.

"I hope we get to fight that bastard." Riza said with a grin and Reiri sighed.

"So do I, if that means he'll kill you mutt." Reiri sighed and Riza glared at her.

* * *

Morenth, the wind dragon, grinned as he slaughtered more civilian monsters. His feathered wings whipped up tornadoes and they ripped apart several more buildings. His silver-grey scales shined in the morning sun along with his grey spiral horns.

" **This town has now been claimed for his true majesty! Lord Draven! Submit to his rule or die!** " Morenth shouted and whirlwinds tore apart trees in display of his power. Then a fireball shot towards him but gusts of wind came to his aid and blocked the attack. He turned to see two dragons; one an adult and the other an adolescent. He recognized them and growled. " **Razakel, you are making a huge mistake defying our king.** "

" **I don't think so. Quite frankly, I've had enough of my brother doing as he pleases.** " Razakel said and Morenth glared at him.

" **Fine. Then you shall pay for your treachery! You and all those who follow you!** " The wind dragon summoned gusts around his hands.

" **Get any remaining civilians to safety! This won't take too long.** " Hiro nodded at his father and flew to the town with the girls on his back. Morenth's silver eyes caught a glimpse of Hime on the young dragon's back and he snarled loudly. " **You're not going anywhere.** "

" **Maybe not, but I'm not the only one here.** " Morenth roared and three more wind dragons appeared. Razakel's eyes widened when one flew straight towards Hiro. " **I may not be able to defeat you on my own but the three of us should be enough.** "

" **You really underestimate me don't you? That's laughable.** " Two of Razakel's spikes turned into blades and moved towards the back of his wrists. " **Three is still not nearly enough.** "

" **You lie!** " Morenth signaled for the two wind dragons to attack first while he summoned several razor winds. Razakel dodged a claw swipe and grabbed one dragon by its throat. He threw it into a building and tail smacked the second one into a few trees. Morenth sent the razor winds and the older dragon grinned as he dodged them all. He also dodged a cyclone and grabbed the first dragon by its tail. He threw it into the second one and flew straight towards Morenth. He growled and and blasted another cyclone from his mouth. Razakel shot a blast of fire and the two attacks collided. The blast created a smokescreen and Razakel landed a roundhouse kick right on the wind dragon's jaw. The force sent Morenth flying into a building and Razakel dodged a bite from the second wind dragon. He ducked under another claw swipe and impaled it in its stomach with one of his wrist blades. The wind dragon coughed up blood and another blade impaled itself in its head. The dragon's soul left the body and absorbed into Razakel. Then he dropped the body and the wrist blades returned to normal spikes. He flew straight towards the first wind dragon while dodging more razor wind blades from Morenth and coated himself in fire. He slammed into the wind dragon and they hit a huge cliff. He pinned it to the ground and blasted a stream of fire at its face. It roared in pain as its scales and flesh were burned away and soon another dragon soul was absorbed by Razakel. He rose back into the air and grinned when he made eye contact with a worried Morenth.

" **Do you still think I'm lying?** " Razakel asked with his arms spread out mockingly. " **Come Morenth, if you're as strong as you think you are then let's see how long you last.** "

The girls landed on the ground and started directing some civilians to safety. Hiro remained in his dragon form providing protection for them. He turned his head and saw a wind dragon flying towards them. He jumped in the air and they both collided to the ground.

"Hiro!" Riza shouted but Hime grabbed her shoulder.

"Get the civilians out of here Riza. Hiro can handle it." Hime said. She never thought she'd say those words before Hiro was revealed to be a dragon. The princess looked at her servant, who tail sweeped the wind dragon's legs and slammed it to the ground by its throat. He was kicked off and stood ready on four legs. The wind dragon sent whirlwinds towards him with his wings and Hiro did something that Hime remembered seeing before. Hiro dug underground to dodge the attack and the wind dragon was shocked. Then he burst from the ground right under his opponent and one of his spikes turned into a wrist blade. He slashed its belly. It roared in pain and Hiro kicked it to the ground. He grabbed its neck and electrocuted it. A dragon soul was released from the body and entered Hiro. Suddenly, two dragons crashed to the ground and they saw Razakel standing over Morenth with his hand around his throat. He had a grin on his face and started to rise into the air. Then he spun around a little and threw Morenth into another building. Razakel looked at Hiro.

" **You can take care of him.** " Razakel said and Hiro looked at him in confusion. " **Take his soul.** "

" **You want me to absorb his soul? But I don't think I should since I didn't fight him.** " Hiro said and his father looked to see Morenth start to stand.

" **Then fight him.** " Morenth roared with rage and charged but Hiro raced forward. He headbutted Morenth and Razakel watched.

" **You dare disrespect me by sending your weak son to fight me instead? I will crush him!** " Morenth shouted and Razakel chuckled. The wind dragon threw his razor wind blades at Hiro but he swiftly dug into the ground again. Morenth's eyes widened and Hiro shot up from the ground. He summoned earth spikes and they shot towards Morenth. He used wind to block the spikes and he lunged at the young dragon. Hiro ducked down and held out his wrist blade. It sliced open Morenth's chest and belly. The wind dragon fell to the ground and a huge pool of blood grew under the body. Morenth's soul left the corpse and entered Hiro. He froze in place as more knowledge entered his brain. The two dragons returned to human form and the met up with the girls.

"Did you find out anything Hiro?" Reiri asked.

"I know where Draven's castle is if that's what you're asking." Hiro said and he looked at Hime. She only nodded and Hiro looked concerned. "Hey Hime, did I do something wrong?"

"No, you haven't. Don't worry about me." Hime said but Hiro wasn't completely convinced.

"So now what?" Riza asked with her hands in her pockets.

"We'll head over to King's Watch. Right now, Hiro needs to gain as much power as he can before we face Draven." Razakel said.

"I thought Draven would be here." Reiri said.

"It was only a possibility, not a guarantee. Once we defeat enough of his servants then he'll have no choice but to show himself." Hime said and Razakel nodded.

* * *

Draven sat on his throne with an annoyed look in his eyes. The news of Morenth's defeat had reached his ears and Jal'zul kneeled before him. Lanaya stood next to him tossing a skull in her hand.

"My apologies for being the bearer of bad news my lord." Jal'zul said and Lanaya rolled her eyes.

"I'm not surprised Morenth lost. He always talked a big game but could never follow up." Lanaya said but a seductive smirk made its way on her face after she crushed the skull with ease. "But~, that only means that Rankiah has gotten stronger."

"Or he had help." Draven said and they both looked at him. "Razakel or Azuriel helped him."

"I thought Razakel was a neutral party." Jal'zul said.

"Guess you thought wrong bag 'o bones." Lanaya said and the lich glared at her.

"How dare you-"

"Enough!" Draven shouted and the two shut their mouths immediately. "I gave Razakel a choice. I told him that he can't remain neutral any longer and he has chosen his side. If Vitaara falls too then I will have to make an appearance. They will know true power then."

"What about the Tyrinov and Kalavandra your majesty?" Lanaya asked.

"They are out gathering more of my forces together."

"And what if both Razakel and Azuriel are at King's Watch? Fighting both of your brothers will be very difficult, even for you." Jal'zul said.

"I am aware." Draven said and he stood up. "Come, we're heading out to King's Watch."

"Of course! _We_ won't fail you my lord! We'll kill them all!" The dragon king shook his head at the lich.

"No, our objective isn't to kill them. But to capture Rankiah."

"Um, Lord Draven? Why capture him?" Lanaya asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"There are a few questions that need to be answered, and the only one who can provide them is my nephew." Draven started walking towards the door and the two servants followed. "How powerful can he be?"

"Obviously nowhere near as strong as you." Jal'zul said.

"That is not what I mean."

"Do you mean because he was born from Razakel and Kunaria my lord?" Draven sighed through his nose.

"That's half of it. The other half though, I must see for myself."

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter. I'm already writing the next one and it will be longer. I can promise you guys that, so as always, Read and Review!


	8. Chapter 8

Well this one is a long time coming. I still need to work on fight scenes apparently but I'll take care of that sometime later. Well here's a brand new chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

The girls rode on Hiro's back as they made their way over to King's Watch to meet up with Azuriel. Razakel was flying right by their side. The older dragon couldn't risk Draven making an appearance without him present. His son had definitely grown stronger but he was still nowhere near the level Draven was. Hiro's progression was fast just like Razakel had hoped but everything was moving faster; almost too fast for his son to catch up. Of course, Hiro was also Kunaria's son. Razakel knew for a fact that his daughter had inherited her mother's spirit dragon abilities, but what about Hiro? Razakel looked at his son. It was rare for spirit dragons to have offspring with non-spirit dragons. It was even more rare for those offspring to inherit their powers and abilities. Nelarith had shown that she did have those abilities and she did have white hair as well.

' _ **I can only hope that Hiro also inherited something. He'll need all the power he can get if he wants to protect Hime from Draven.**_ ' Razakel thought and they arrived at the port city. Azuriel was floating above the ocean and his eyes were searching the waters. " **Azuriel?** "

" **Careful everyone. There are a couple enemy water dragons in the water. We'll be at a huge disadvantage if we get pulled under. Vitaara is leading them.** " Azuriel said. Suddenly a huge hand made of water burst upward and grabbed Hiro's tail. He was pulled with such force that the girls were thrown off. He was dragged underwater and Razakel caught the girls in his huge clawed hands.

"Hiro!" Riza shouted and Azuriel folded his wings around his stomach. Then he dove underwater. A large dark blue dragon with gills, fins, and bright blue eyes appeared from the depths. She had bright blue fins and spines, long fingers and claws with webbing in between them, a long neck, a serpentine body, no wings, and no horns.

" **Vitaara.** " Razakel growled her name and the water dragon narrowed her eyes.

" **Lord Draven is not only our king but your own brother and you would dare to betray him?! Does loyalty mean nothing to you?!** " Vitaara shouted.

" **Not to someone who doesn't deserve it, and Draven does _not_ deserve it.** " Razakel said and Vitaara snarled.

" **We are the superior ones! The other monsters will bow before us once more!** "

Meanwhile underwater, Hiro was struggling to hold his breath as he was continually dragged deeper and deeper. There were two water dragons circling around him and he flailed his limbs as he tried to break free. Then the water arm was cut in half and Hiro was freed. There was his uncle Azuriel and Hiro noticed that he had gills as well. Azuriel grabbed ahold of his nephew's limbs and started swimming to the surface. A water dragon snarled and swam towards them. Azuriel maneuvered his body around and kicked the enemy dragon away. Unfortunately, he wasn't as fast underwater as the two water dragons and was knocked away from Hiro. Suddenly the water started shifting around and Hiro started spinning around. A vortex appeared and the young dragon was only able to get a couple gasps of air before he was promptly submerged again. One of the water dragons swiftly shot through the water and Hiro had the air knocked out of his lungs when the water dragon landed a punch on his abdomen. The dragon peeked its head out of the water and Riza took this opportunity to jump in the fray.

"Let's go you scaly bastard!" Riza shouted as she transformed her arms and landed a punch on its head. The dragon growled in pain and rage before grabbing her then diving back underwater.

"This reckless dog." Reiri said with a facepalm. Suddenly, she gripped Razakel's fingers tightly as his sudden movement caused her body to jerk in one direction. Razakel had dodged another blast of highly pressurized water. Hime loaded her pistols and started shooting at Vitaara.

" **You phoenix bitch.** " Vitaara said as she blocked the bullets with her arm but growled in pain as the dragonbane burned through her smooth scales. Her eyes widened in rage. " **Dragonbane?!** "

"Is Hiro alright?" Reiri asked. The boy hadn't resurfaced in a while.

" **Azuriel is with him. I would help too but I must keep you ladies safe.** " Razakel said and he looked over to Vitaara. " **Plus, I highly doubt Vitaara will just move aside.** "

Azuriel tail-smacked the second water dragon and grabbed Riza before quickly swimming towards Hiro. Webbing formed between his fingers and toes as he navigated towards his nephew. He grabbed ahold of Hiro's spiked shoulders.

" **Hiro, if you can hear me then switch to human form!** " Azuriel said and Hiro nodded slightly. Once he shrunk down to human form, Azuriel summoned a small vortex of his own and it swirled around the young dragon. Then the water carrying Hiro rose into the air and turned into a waterspout. It twisted around like a tornado and when it dispersed, Hiro was left free-falling. The ex-blood warrior coughed some water out of his lungs and his red and black wings burst out from his back; sending the shredded remains of shirt flying. Then on of the water dragons lunged from the water towards him. Muscles spasmed and joints popped as Hiro transformed one of his arms. His eyes changed as well and he snarled as he dodged the water dragon's jaws and winded up his arm. He sent a powered punch that landed on his opponent's huge jaw and the attack sent the water dragon crashing back in the water. The second one lunged and Hiro bended his body backwards to dodge. Then he twisted and landed a roundhouse kick that sent the second one flying.

Azuriel burst from the water with Riza on his back and grabbed both water dragons by their heads. Steam poured out from Azuriel's hands as ice started to spread across their heads and down their bodies. He added pressure to his grip and cracks appeared until their heads shattered. The souls of the two entered Azuriel and Hiro looked at his uncle in awe. Hiro changed back to dragon form and picked up Riza.

" **Razakel and I will leave the big fish for you Hiro.** " Azuriel said and Hiro nodded. Riza grinned and cracked her knuckles.

"I'm right here with ya Hiro." Riza said Hiro turned his head to her. The half-werewolf could see amusement in his yellow-gold eyes but also relief. The young dragon spread his wings and flew towards Vitaara.

" **Fight me Razakel! Do you dare see me as an opponent not worth your time?!** " Vitaara shouted as large waterspouts circled around her. Hime reloaded her pistols and glanced at the female dragon. Vitaara sported quite a few injuries from the dragonbane bullets but that was all. Razakel made no move to attack ever since the fight started and it had clearly pissed off their enemy. She glanced up at Hiro's father and noticed the small fang-showing grin on his face. She knew Razakel was waiting for Hiro to defeat Vitaara so he can gt stronger and the older dragon enjoyed getting the water dragon riled up. Vitaara noticed Razakel's grin and snarled even louder. " **How dare you look down on me!** "

" **I wouldn't say he's looking down on you, but you haven't really given us a reason to take you seriously.** " Azuriel taunted as he floated next to his older brother.

" **Damn you! I will crush-!** " Vitaara was cut off when she felt a body slam into her and the waterspouts disappeared. That body belonged to Hiro and Riza laughed as she jumped into his hand. Hiro threw her at Vitaara and she landed a punch on her jaw. The water dragon hit the water and Azuriel caught Riza in midair. Hiro folded his wings around his abdomen and dived down; sending both himself and Vitaara underwater.

"What is Hiro doing?" Reiri asked and Razakel chuckled.

" **You'll see soon.** " Razakel said and Hime understood.

"Fuga." Flandre asked.

"Correct Flandre. Hopefully Hiro can hold his breath long enough to succeed." Hime said. Her eyes never left the spot where her servant was last seen.

" **How foolish. All you've done is give me a massive advantage.** " Vitaara said and she grabbed Hiro by his throat. They switched positions and now she was hovering over him. Hiro winced as the pressure started to get stronger the further down she pushed him. His lungs felt like they were on fire as he closed his eyes and tried to focus. He grabbed Vitaara's forearm with one hand and used the other to grab her throat. " **This will be your grave.** "

" **Not..before you!** " Hiro shouted and lightning started to spark around his arms. His grip tightened and lightning enveloped both dragons. Vitaara roared in pain and Hiro switched their positions again. His lungs continued to scream at him for air but he couldn't stop just yet. The girls and dragons watched as electricity roamed along the water's surface and they heard the sound of rumbling similar to thunder. A bright light made itself known within the depths and all was calm. No one said anything for a while until a figure burst from the water. The girls looked on in relief when they saw Hiro emerge and practically cough is lungs out; so much so that fire would occasionally spew forth from his mouth. Razakel and Azuriel flew towards him.

" **Did you get it?** " Razakel asked and Hiro nodded as he snorted out fire from his nostrils to get rid of the water that had made its way in there. He defeated Vitaara and absorbed her soul. He had learned new water spells and he could feel even more power coursing within his soul. Despite this entire ordeal, he felt good. Hiro turned his gaze to Him and the second princess met it. His eyes softened and the corners of his mouth inched upwards into a smile, or at least as much of a smile as he could manage while in dragon form. He didn't have to worry about that though since it seemed Hime knew what he was trying to do. Her eyes softened a little and she rewarded him with a small smile of her own. Hiro could feel his heart beat faster but something snapped him out of it. A huge skeletal hand grabbed him by on of his legs. Hime's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the hand grab her servant. It dragged him across the water and it slammed him into the ground.

"What the hell?!" Riza shouted and Hime could feel the tension within Razakel's fingers and hand. She looked up and saw that his eyes were wide with shock and surprise at who was the one that did it. Everyone looked to see who Razakel was looking at and their eyes widened when they saw Draven and Lanaya in their dragon forms with Jal'zul standing on the female dragon's head. The lich's palms were glowing and Draven raised a hand. Purple lightning struck Hiro and he roared in pain. This pain was more intense than anything he had felt before, even more painful than Kiniski's 'lessons'.

' _ **How did no one sense them approach?**_ ' Azuriel thought with shock.

" **Enough Draven!** " Razakel shouted with a vicious snarl. Hiro returned to his human form and remained motionless.

" **Leave the girls with me.** " Azuriel said and Razakel placed the girls on his younger brother's back He flew forward and Draven blocked his path. " **I knew you would appear sooner or later but to attack my son is cowardly even for you.** "

" **Cowardly? Come now Razakel, he defies me as well but lucky for you, I have no intention of ending his life.** " Draven said.

"Then what the hell are you doing?!" Riza shouted and Lanaya growled.

" **Learn your place mongrel! Your pathetic demands mean nothing to Lord Draven!** " Lanaya shouted and Draven raised a hand. The female dragon backed down and a purple glow surrounded Hiro. His unconscious body floated over to Jal'zul and the lich grabbed him.

" **Take my nephew back to the castle.** " Draven ordered and his servant nodded. A torrent of shadows surrounded the two and they disappeared.

"You bastard!" Riza shouted and Reiri pulled on her ear. The half-werewolf yelped in pain and swatted her hand away. "What the hell?"

"Shut up you loud beast." Reiri scolded. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Oh come on! We got two strong dragons with us. We can take 'em! Right Hime?"

"Fuga." Flandre said but Hime remained silent. Honestly, she was more worried about Hiro in this situation. Razakel would make sure to keep them out of danger but obviously Draven knew something that they didn't and it must be something big enough that Draven needed him alive. Hime glanced at Razakel and could see the tension in his muscles even though he was facing away from them. He clearly knows why Draven wants Hiro and she wondered if Azuriel knew as well.

" **Actually Riza, Reiri is correct.** " Azuriel said. " **Razakel is well known as one of the strongest dragons in existence, but there's a reason why Draven is the Dragon King.** " **  
**

"So what does that mean?" Riza asked and Reiri facepalmed.

"It means, you stupid dog, that Razakel may be powerful but there's no guarantee that he'll defeat Draven." Reiri said. "We have no idea how much stronger Draven has gotten since he returned.

" **Indeed. If he was alone then yes we could take him, but he's not.** " Azuriel said and Draven tilted his head.

" **Is that really what you're worried about little brother?** " Draven asked and he turned to Lanaya. " **Go back to the castle and assist Jal'zul.** "

" **Of course, your majesty.** " Lanaya said and she flew away. Razakel knew what Draven was doing and turned his head to Azuriel.

" **Take the girls back to the Zephyr Isles and inform Kunaria.** " Razakel said.

"What?!" Riza shouted.

"Enough Riza." Hime said and Riza looked at her shocked.

"Are you serious Hime?! We need to rescue Hiro!" Hime glared at her and the half-werewolf shut her mouth. That glare was more intense than she had ever saw the young phoenix give. Even Reiri backed away a little and was unnerved at the sight.

"I know Riza." Hime's tone was still calm but her eyes betrayed her voice. Azuriel looked at Hime and could see a fire in her eyes even though it was contained.

" **I'll tell you why my brother may want Hiro but if it's incorrect then my nephew is in grave danger. Come, we'll speak to Kunaria about this.** " Azuriel said and he opened a portal. He flew through it and Draven smirked when it closed.

" **It's been a while since we last fought Razakel. I wonder if you're as strong as the rumors say or if you've gotten complacent since I've last roamed the Monster Realm.** " Draven said and Razakel glared at him. " **To think _both_ of my brothers would have the gall to betray me. It's quite amusing really.** "

" **Amusing? That's not exactly how I would put it.** " Draven shrunk down as he returned to human form and casually stood on the water's surface. Razakel followed and stood a few feet in front of him.

"Though, I had a feeling you would turn against me sooner or later. After all, your son is involved in this as well."

"And here I thought you would be angry." Draven narrowed his eyes and growled.

"Of course I am! My own brothers dared to betray me for such a petty reason!" Razakel growled.

"Do you seriously think of the poor state of the Monster Realm and the creatures that live here as a petty reason?! What kind of king allows such terrible things to happen?!"

"If they were too weak to handle strenuous conditions then that's their problem."

"And you wonder why Azuriel and I stand against you." Razakel muttered and Draven growled.

* * *

Azuriel arrived back at the Zephyr Isles and landed right in front of Kunaria and Nelarith. The small female dragon raced over and smiled at Hime. Azuriel returned to human form and whispered in Kunaria's ear. Her eyes widened but Nelarith was blissfully unaware of what just happened.

"Hi! Nela's name is Nelarith!" Nelarith said enthusiastically. Hime gave her a small but weak smirk and patted her head. The small dragon giggled at her action.

"Kunaria, we have much to discuss." Hime said and the spirit dragon nodded. They moved into the house and everyone sat in chairs. Kunaria sat Nelarith in her lap.

"As you may already know, spirit dragons like myself are rare. Children born from one like Hiro that inherit those abilities are unknown." Kunaria said.

"But wait, Nelarith is your child too." Riza said.

"Yes, but she's a spirit dragon as well. Technically Hiro is not, he's a fire dragon just like his father."

"So Hiro isn't half fire and half spirit dragon?" Reiri asked but Kunaria shook her head.

"It doesn't work like that with our species. We can inherit physical traits from the other parent though."

"Like myself." Azuriel said. "I'm technically a water dragon but I have wings, the eye color, and horns of a forest dragon."

"Seriously?" Riza asked and Azuriel nodded.

"Draven should know that, yet he captured Hiro for some reason." Hime said.

"He most likely thinks Hiro did inherit some of my abilities and powers. There hasn't been a mated pair like myself and Razakel in several centuries at least and it's unknown if any dragon can inherit the abilities of a spirit dragon. I have powers that even Draven himself can't learn."

"Let's say Hiro has inherited your abilities, can Draven learn them if he absorbs his soul?" Hime asked.

"Unfortunately, that's unknown as well. Spirit dragons rarely leave the Spirit Realm and no one has absorbed the soul of one." Azuriel said.

* * *

Hiro woke up in chains within a huge dungeon and struggled against them. The chains were magically reinforced and he picked up a female scent. Lanaya emerged from the shadows with a smirk on her face and a hand on her hip. Jal'zul entered the room behind her and Lanaya moved closer to Hiro. She leaned over him and caressed his cheek with her fingers.

"You're much cuter up close." Lanaya said. "You're free of that disgusting phoenix's clutches now."

"I was never with Hime against my will." Hiro said and Jal'zul stared at him. If the lich had eyebrows then he probably would've raised one at Hiro's statement.

"Of course you were. How else did you come into her service?" Jal'zul asked. "Back then, you had to serve her or die."

"You were next to useless before the seal started to expire. Now she'll never let you go." Lanaya said.

"I don't think that's a bad thing." Hiro muttered and Lanaya narrowed her eyes.

"What I don't get is why she kept you around before your true race was revealed. She had no reason to suspect you weren't human and knew how weak you would be." Lanaya said with a slight tilt of her head.

"His dragon blood." Jal'zul said simply and Lanaya looked at him. "Even though the seal made him no different than a normal human, he's still a dragon. You creatures have a natural charisma that's alluring to others, especially those of the opposite sex. Because of the seal, it's too subtle to draw in humans but monsters are another story."

"Oooooh. No wonder so many female monsters are drawn to him." Hiro blushed a little and shook his head.

"Why am I here?" Hiro asked and Jal'zul opened a large spellbook.

"We are going to confirm our king's suspicions about you. He doesn't think you're an ordinary dragon and that you have more power sleeping within you." Jal'zul said.

"What do you mean?" Lanaya ran a finger teasingly down his chest and Hiro blushed even more.

"You'll find out soon enough dear boy." The female stood back and the lich started chanting a spell. A burst of energy shot towards Hiro and he yelled out in pain. "I really hope he does have this power."

"So does our Lord Draven."

Hiro's blood was on fire and his muscles spasmed painfully as the energy surged through him. His screams turned into roars as his nails turned into claws. His eyes changed from brown to yellow-gold and he started thrashing around. He left claw marks on the stone floor and Lanaya sighed.

"Did you find anything?" Jal'zul looked at the poison dragon with clear annoyance.

"For crying out loud Lanaya, I just started! I will let you know if I do or if there isn't anything there!" Lanaya huffed and folded her arms. Then a torrent of shadows appeared and out came Draven. "My lord!"

"Lord Draven! Did you take care of your traitorous brother?" Lanaya asked and Draven merely folded his arms.

"No. It seems Razakel has grown stronger since I last saw him centuries ago. I can't remember the last time anyone, even another dragon, actually gave me a challenge. So he lives, for the time being." Draven said. He glanced at his nephew before he left the room.

"Don't worry your majesty! I will report to you on any progress made." Jal'zul said. Lanaya's wings appeared and she floated in place. However, what no one noticed was the subtle changes in Hiro's eyes. The color of his irises were flickering.

Back at the Zephyr Isles, Kunaria and Nelarith sensed something. It was a strong energy signature that was also familiar.

"Hey mama, who is that?" Nelarith asked and Kunaria's eyes widened.

"...Oh my god."

* * *

And that's the end of the chapter. Read and Review!


	9. Chapter 9

And welcome back to this new chapter. I have no words to say this time except I hope you enjoy it. I hope this one is longer than the last one.

* * *

Everyone stared at the shocked look on Kunaria's face. The spirit dragon in question knew what was happening and couldn't believe it. Nelarith could feel the spike in spiritual energy but didn't know who it was or where it was coming from. The energy spiked again and this time Hime felt it. Her eyes widened slightly and she was puzzled for a few seconds but it went away. It felt so familiar and now she knew why.

"Fuga?" Flandre asked and Hime nodded to her.

"I can feel it too Flandre. It's Hiro." Hime said and the others looked at her.

"Wait, what the hell's going on?" Riza asked.

"There's a large spike of spiritual energy. Nelarith and I can feel it and it's coming from Hiro." Kunaria said and she turned to Hime. "You must be able to sense it because you're a phoenix. Your kind also have a connection to the Spirit Realm."

"So, has Hiro awakened his spirit powers?" Reiri asked.

"Possibly, but I don't know what will happen afterwards." Kunaria sighed.

"Alright then, give us a couple theories." Hime said as she crossed one leg over the other and folded her arms. Her grip tightened on her arms and even though she hid it very well on the outside, she felt anxious and Kunaria could sense it. There was a small storm of worry for her young dragon servant within her soul. The spirit dragon glanced at the blonde girl's eyes and could see the very same anxiousness in her red depths. The sight brought a small smile to Kunaria's face.

"Let's see, all spirit dragons are born with a special connection to the Spirit Realm. Perhaps you could say it's similar to when an android is first created and there are wires attached to their body, except our threads are always attached."

"So spirit dragons are the androids and the wires are the threads attached to them from the Spirit Realm?" Azuriel asked and his sister-in-law nodded.

"Those connections are already established but Hiro had nothing of the sort when he was born, as far as I could tell. If Hiro truly has awakened to his spirit powers then those threads from the Spirit Realm are trying to forcefully establish a connection with him. The sudden rush of such power combined with the fact that he had already absorbed a few dragon souls may have caused a negative reaction."

"Negative reaction? So is he going berserk?" Hime asked.

"Sort of. The Spirit Realm is trying to meld with his soul in a more 'intimate' way than with other beings, just like it does with my kind. His body and soul need that connection in order for him to be able to use that power safely without burning him out physically and mentally. The Spirit Realm as a whole knows this and is trying to prevent that, but the longer he resists, the more in danger he is."

"Geez, that sounds painful for some reason." Riza said.

"I wouldn't know personally since those strings attach themselves to us before birth."

"Either way, we need to get to Hiro and soon." Razakel said as he stood up. "I know where the castle is. If he was taken anywhere, it would probably be there."

"I will go this time Razakel." Kunaria said as she stood up and gave Nelarith to her father. "Unfortunately, only princess Hime can come with me."

"What?! Why the hell can't we go?!" Riza shouted and Reiri sighed.

"I will have to take Hiro to the Spirit Realm and unless you're a spirit dragon, a phoenix, or dead then you're not allowed there." Kunaria said with her arms folded. Riza growled in frustration but said nothing else. She couldn't argue with that. "I'll be able to track him by his spirit energy."

"Let's go then." Hime said as she stood up. The two females stepped outside and she watched as Kunaria turned into her dragon form. She was a beautiful, slender black and white dragon but her scales were predominately white with only her underbelly colored black. She even had a serpent-like body and neck and her head was also slender. She had glowing sky blue and white ethereal horns in a curled, spiral shape and one smaller one right on her snout between the nostrils. Her elbows down to her fingers, her knees down to her clawed toes and her long tail were ethereal as well. What drew Hime's attention were Kunaria's wings. They looked almost completely different from any other dragon's wings. They were bat-like but with tendrils instead of fingers. They looked flimsy and they were also ethereal that glowed blue and white as well. What was even more strange was that even though Kunaria was standing still, they were slightly swaying from side to side like tree branches in the wind. Spirit energy cascaded down from the back of her head to the middle of her back like steam and her eyes were completely white but Hime could tell that she was looking at her. Kunaria picked her up and placed her on her back.

* * *

Hiro let out an inhuman roar again and his eyes started glowing white. His body temperature rose again and his veins bulged within his neck around his eyes and down his arms. They started glowing white as well and Hiro shook his head from side to side harshly as if to shake the pain off. Some foreign power was bashing against the barriers within his soul and it hurt like hell. Jal'zul's and Lanaya's eyes widened when they saw the glowing veins. The book burst into white flames but whatever was happening to Hiro continued.

"I'll tell Lord Draven." Lanaya shouted in excitement before she quickly left. Jal'zul felt another powerspike and heard a chain snap. One of Hiro's arms broke free and the lich moved back a little. Hiro's horns and tail appeared as he struggled to break free. The young dragon kept swiping the air with his claws and the other hand broke free. Suddenly his body turned into mist and the other chains slipped off.

"W-What the hell?!" Jal'zul shouted in surprise and Hiro's body reformed.

"Lord Draven is gone!" Lanaya shouted and she stopped in her tracks when Jal'zul suddenly crashed through the door and rolled to a stop on the ground in front of them. Hiro leaped through the broken doorway and snarled.

"We must keep him under control for when Lord Draven returns." Jal'zul summoned a skeleton hand with his magic but Hiro dodged the grab and held his head in pain. There were voices in his head and he couldn't tell where they were coming from. They also wouldn't stop. The lich summoned a dark lightning bolt and as soon as it shot towards Hiro, it passed right through him and hit the wall. Hiro looked down and saw that his torso had turned ethereal and returned to normal. The lich pulled out a vial and cradled it gently in his hand. Draven entrusted him with this and this seemed like the perfect time to use it.

"What's that?" The poison dragon asked.

"Lord Draven made this himself and gave it to me, just in case." Hiro lunged at them again ad the lich uncorked the vial. He threw it at the younger dragon and it smashed on his face. Hiro roared in pain as the purple concoction entered his body through his eyes, mouth, and nose. He collapsed on the ground and writhed in pain. Lanaya smiled in satisfaction and Jal'zul let out a sigh of relief until a spirit dragon materialized between them. It was Kunaria with Hime on her back. Their sudden appearance startled Lanaya and Jal'zul cursed.

"What the hell? W-Where did they come from?!" Lanaya shouted but the lich ignored her.

"I believe this is the first time we've met. My name is Jal'zul, and I am a loyal servant of Lord Draven. You need not introduce yourself Kunaria, I know who you are. A spirit dragon who lives outside of the Spirit Realm for some reason."

"We both know what you're here for! We won't let you take Rankiah from us!" Lanaya shouted.

"Of course you won't, but you also don't have a choice. You clearly have forgotten what spirit dragons can do." Kunaria said and her hand started glowing. Her fingers slight closed around her palm an Jal'zul suddenly screamed in pain. Lanaya looked at him in shock and the lich dropped to his knees.

"What the hell?" Lanaya asked.

"Soul Rend. It's an ability exclusive to spirit dragons. It makes you feel like your soul is getting painfully ripped from your body." Kunaria said. Something collapsed on the ground and they turned to see that Hiro dropped to his hands and knees in pain. He was clawing at the ground and saliva escaped from the corners of his mouth. His dragon wings burst from the confines of his back and shirt. The glowing white veins spread to his back and started going up the webbing of his wings. Kunaria glanced at him worried. They can't afford to waste anymore time. She could see the threads of the Spirit Realm trying to attach themselves onto Hiro's soul but he was still trying to resist. Kunaria summoned a blue orb and tossed it behind her. Hime used the spirit dragon's tail to gently land on the ground and she hurried over to Hiro. "Princess, take Hiro to the Spirit Realm."

"Hiro, can you hear me?" Hime asked but she only got a roar of pain as a response. Lanaya glared at her and growled.

"Take your filthy hands off of him!" Lanaya shouted and lunged at Hime, only for white chains to appear and wrap around her limbs. The same chains wrapped around Jal'zul once the Soul Rend wore off and they pulled the two monsters back so forcefully that they slammed into the wall. Kunaria had returned to human form and her hands were glowing. She watched Hime help Hiro up and they went through the portal from the corner of her eye.

* * *

Hime opened her eyes and gazed upon the beauty that was the Spirit Realm. Vibrant flowers decorated the ground around them with rivers and mountainous terrain. The sky glowed a reddish-orange with brightly visible stars and constellations along with purple, pink, and blue northern lights everywhere. Everywhere the second princess looked, there was a slight white glow to her surroundings. The clouds were circling around the white sun. There were large trees that housed brightly colored pink and purple cherry blossoms. The grass was a healthy green with a large crystal clear pond that sparkled in the light. A waterfall cascaded down a cliff right into the pond and the water flowed gently past the two monsters. Several petals from the cherry blossoms rode the breeze and a couple landed on Hiro's head. He was now unconscious but Hime noticed his fingers would twitch occasionally. Her eyes softened and she gently brushed the petals from his brown hair. Hiro leaned into her touch and a soft and lazy growl rumbled deep within his throat that was similar to a purr. A small but gentle smile escaped onto her face after hearing the sound and a warm feeling cuddled inside her heart at the sight. Hiro slowly opened his eyes and Hime saw that his dragon eyes had two glowing white rings in them. One wrapped around the pupils and the second one around the irises.

"H-Hime? Where are we?" Hiro asked and Hime smirked.

"Is that really the first thing you ask me when you wake up?" Hime asked and Hiro grew flustered.

"I-I'm sorry Hime, I..uh.." Hiro trailed off. He quickly sat up but groaned as he laid back down and held his head to help get rid of the dizziness.

"We're in the Spirit Realm." Hiro's eyes widened.

"Are we dead?!" Hime sighed and smacked the back of his head. "Sorry."

"Do you remember anything?" Hiro shook his head.

"Not really. I remember so much pain, and it felt like something was trying to dig into my body. Then everything went black and I woke up here." Hime nodded. "Where's Kunaria?"

"She'll be here soon." As soon as Hime said that, a portal opened and Hiro's mother stepped through. The portal closed and she rushed to her son's side.

"Are you alright Hiro?" Kunaria asked.

"Other than dizziness, I think I'm fine." Hiro said as he tried to stand but wobbled a little and Kunaria held him up. She noticed that three of the five threads of the Spirit Realm were connected to him successfully.

"Hiro, there are two more strands that need to connect to you." Then Kunaria held his head between both of her hands and stared into his slightly changed eyes. Her eyes started glowing white and Hiro visibly relaxed. The two leftover threads started connecting to Hiro's body and the younger dragon winced at the pain. Then flashes of darkness appeared. Skulls with glowing red dots in the eye sockets, black bladed wings, long black claws moving closer and insane laughter echoed all around him. Hiro's and Kunaria's eyes widened and he started hyperventilating as black threads tried to attach themselves to his body. Hiro wrenched himself from his mother's grasp and held his head as he yelled in pain.

"What's happening?" Hime asked and Kunaria growled. The spirit dragon had an idea on what it could be.

"Come princess, I shall explain on the way." Kunaria said and she changed into her dragon form. She helped Hime onto her back, grabbed Hiro, and flew off. The white part of Hiro's eyes were slowly turning black and Kunaria flew faster. " **They did something to Hiro but I couldn't even detect it until now. I doubt Jal'zul knows the process of creating that potion so it had to have been created by Draven himself. It's a powerful corruption spell in liquid form. It's called Shadow of Chaos and it corrupts the minds and souls of every individual cursed by it. They change both physically and mentally. I don't know how Draven knows that spell but he does.** "

"Is there a way to stop it?" Kunaria didn't say anything for a while. The spirit dragon was thinking of how Draven had access to that ability. None of his disciplines held that spell and that made Kunaria wonder where he learned it from. The only spell in the ballpark of Shadow of Chaos was a necromancer spell that forced the victim to relive their worse nightmares and greatest horrors imaginable. The only way to learn such a power would be from..

" **Impossible.** " Hime looked at Kunaria.

"I take it you've figured it out." Kunaria nodded.

" **The only question is who taught Draven how to do it and how he got to that place when he was banished outside of time.** " Hime raised an eyebrow.

"That place?" Kunaria landed on the ground right in front of a huge pearl white temple with a large tower in the middle. There were a couple other spirit dragons flying to and from the temple. Kunaria let Hime off and laid Hiro on the ground. He was still gripping his head in pain and curled his body tightly. Kunaria switched back to human form and helped her son inside. A couple spirit dragons watched curiously as they passed by. Kunaria led them into a large indoor oasis with its own waterfall. There were vines hanging from the ceiling and glowing light blue moss. Kunaria laid her son down in the shallow end of the small pool and stood up. "Watch him carefully princess. I'll return shortly after I've gathered a few things."

Hime nodded silently and the spirit dragon left the room. She returned her attention to Hiro, who was visibly flinching every few minutes. He had calmed down significantly since Kunaria and herself retrieved him. Hime reached out and gently brushed more of his brown hair from his eyes. The gesture had awakened him and red eyes met yellow-gold with the two glowing rings still there. No one said anything at first, just enjoying the companionable silence between them. Then Hime broke it, which was a rare occurrence on her part.

"Good to see you're still with me Hiro." Hime said and Hiro smiled.

"Thanks. What exactly happened to me though?" Hiro asked.

"You awakened your powers as a spirit dragon." The look on his face made Hime smirk a little with amusement. "You seem surprised."

"Well, yeah." Hiro winced when he tried to sit up but Hime placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back down. "I didn't think I would have spirit powers. I thought it was unknown."

"Unknown doesn't mean impossible."

"Because I'm living proof that the impossible is actually possible."

"Indeed." Hiro sighed.

"My life has changed so dramatically so many times ever since I met you." Hime raised both eyebrows slightly and Hiro's eyes widened at what he may have implied. "N-Not that that's a-a bad thing! I meant..um.."

"Well, what exactly did you mean then?" Hiro sweatdropped.

"I..uh.." Hime could see why Reiri enjoyed teasing him. His lack of knowledge on how to deal with women was actually quite endearing. She noticed Hiro's demeanor change once he gathered his thoughts. "Even after everything I've been through, I'm still glad that I met you Hime. I don't regret staying by your side."

"...I see." Hiro gave her a bright smile and his declaration caught Hime off guard. The second princess broke eye contact with him but Hiro noticed a small glow of happiness in her eyes and a small smile on her face. She was even more beautiful when she smiled. "Now that your spirit powers are awake, do you feel any different than before?"

"I do feel a bit different. It's like I can see everything that wasn't there before. There are a few spirits in the shape of wisps slowly flying around in this room. It's like I feel more aware of everything around me." Hiro turned his head to her. "I can sense that you're calm and relaxed, but also content."

"Well, it's good that you're better." Then Kunaria walked in and smiled at the sight of the two so close together.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything young ones." Kunaria said with a knowing smile and Hiro blushed.

"No! N-Not at all!" Hime chuckled.

"What is all that?" Kunaria put a few items down.

"Now that the threads of the Spirit Realm have attached themseves to Hiro, we shall proceed with a ritual."

"A ritual?" Hime asked as Kunaria placed a few pyramid shaped objects around Hiro. Hime moved back and Hiro could see a few wisps hover over the objects with a couple command gestures from his mother.

"This ritual is used to help new spirit dragons find their way. Unlike all the other dragons, there are negative effects to absorbing only dragon souls. We can absorb the soul of anything and anyone." Hiro's eyes widened. "Well, almost anyone."

"Almost?" Hiro asked.

"You can't absorb a phoenix."

"Is it passive or active? Hime asked.

"Passively to dragons, actively to everyone else." Hiro nodded. "Now, let's begin."

Kunaria moved outside of the circle and started muttering a spell to herself. The obects started glowing white and float. Hiro turned into a large ball of spirit energy and it raced up the waterfall until it left the building.

Hiro looked around and saw nothing but the sky and clouds. He was just floating aimlessly until a voice rang out around him.

" **So we meet once again traitorous hatchling.** " Hiro recognized that voice and turned to see Salamir but he was in the form of a white spirit dragon head with glowing blue eyes and no pupils. Hiro's eyes widened. " **Why the surprise hatchling? Did you really think our battle was over and done with?** "

" **You are strong physically, we do acknowledge that. However, your spirit seems a bit.. _weak_.** " Another voice said and Hiro saw Morenth floating behind him in the same spirit form as Salamir.

" **Now if he were in the service of Lord Draven then this wouldn't be an issue.** " Vitaara said once her soul appeared.

"I will _never_ serve him." Hiro said with a growl and the souls laughed

" **You will not have a choice. Once we take over your mind, you will serve our king and our kind will rule once more!** " All three of them said simultaneously and they lunged at him.

Outside if the spirit ball stood Hime and Kunaria. Bright blue lights flashed randomly in certain places as if a storm was being waged within the ball.

"So what's happening now?" Hime asked.

"Now, Hiro must fight of the souls of the three dragons he devoured. If he succeeds then he will retain his normal personality." Kunaria said and she paused for a moment before she continued. "If not, then he will no longer be the same person anymore. Judging from what my husband told me, then he will become our enemy."

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That's the end of this chapter. Read and Review!


	10. Chapter 10

And now we're getting close to the end of this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

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 _We spirit dragons have always believed in keeping the balance between realms and the colossal amounts of damage that would result if the balance was destroyed. We are responsible for maintaining order here in the Spirit Realm. Of course if you understand the concept of balance, then you know there is another realm that's the complete opposite of the Spirit realm._

 _It's called the Umbra Realm and it is a realm filled to the brim with chaos. There are beings called Umbra or Phantom dragons. They were our opposites in every way and they have a leader just like us. No one knows the name of this being or if its even a dragon. What we do know is that we call it the Phantom and it has the ability to corrupt any being, mortal and immortal, into a creature of the Umbra Realm. Black and purple inky tendrils corrupt the hearts, bodies, and minds of its victims and they are forever gone._

 _So what I saw within Hiro was that same inky darkness that had attached itself to him. It had been the first time in centuries that I felt powerless. That I could only watch helplessly as the corruption slowly extends its reach within his body. Draven will pay dearly for this. Whatever deal he struck with that entity has now involved Hiro. Was this his intention all along or just insurance? Whatever the case, that brother-in-law of mine will regret his foolish decision._

 _I_ will _save my son._

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Hiro dodged another lunge from Morenth and tail-swatted Vitarra away. He grabbed both Vitarra and Morenth by the head and held them up. He held his head down and his brown hair covered his eyes.

" **What's the matter hatchling? Have you decided to serve Lord Draven after all?** " Salamir asked as he circled around them.

" **Serve? Draven? Don't make me laugh.** " A dual toned voice said and the three dragon souls looked at Hiro with widened eyes. Where did that come from? It wasn't the boy's normal voice and it was accompanied by a deeper one. Then a wide, psychotic grin slowly crept its way onto Hiro's face and his grip tightened around the two dragon's heads. " **Draven is no king. He too is merely a servant to a much bigger and more powerful master.** "

" **What the hell?!** " Vitaara shouted. Then thin black tendril burst forth from the sleeves of Hiro's shirt. They twisted around his arms and wrapped around Vitaara and Morenth. They roared in pain as the darkness burned and corrupted their souls. Salamir froze as he watched the white souls of Vitaara and Morenth turn black. Their glowing eyes turned purple and they looked at Salamir.

" **This is..this is amazing!** " Vitaara shouted.

" **The power and knowledge that flows through me is incredible!** " Morenth shouted and Hiro absorbed their souls permanently. He turned to Salamir and his hair still covered his eyes.

" **Come Salamir, join your companions and feel true power.** " Hiro said as he opened his arms and Salamir roared as the tendrils consumed him.

* * *

"Stand back princess, something's wrong." Kunaria said as she stood protectively in front of Hime.

"What is that?" Hime askeed as the white sphere turned black and Hiro suddenly emerged. The two women saw that his eyes had changed. His yellow-gold irises were now a violet color and the whites of his eyes were black. His claws were black too and he grinned. "Hiro, what happened to you?"

"I feel great Hime. I feel like I can take on Draven right now." Hiro said and Hime narrowed her eyes. The young dragon tilted his head. "Skeptical? That's to be expected. Then, come and allow me to show you."

"Hiro, no." Kunaria said but he ignored her and shifted to his dragon form. His black scales remained the same but his red scales and webbing in his wings were now dark purple with silver colored blades on the tips of his wings. Black tendrils swarmed all over his arms, abdomen and legs. He slowly stalked towards them. Then silver-white chains erupted from the runes on the ground and wrapped around Hiro's limbs. He roared in pain as the blue and white flames burned through his scales and tendrils. One huge chain tied his wings together and two smaller ones grabbed his tail and neck each but Hiro continued to struggle. Kunaria and Hime turned to see three people approach. They were wearing white ropes and were barefoot. The one on the left was a young woman, the one on the right was a young man, and the one in the middle was an elderly man with a brown staff. All three of them had white hair, pale skin, and glowing white eyes. A final chain appeared and wrapped around Hiro's mouth. The young dragon collapsed on the ground but continued his futile attempt to break free.

"Gillion." Kunaria nodded her head in respect to the elderly looking man.

"What is going on here Kunaria?" Gillion asked and Kunaria sighed.

"I'll explain inside." The old man sighed and teleported everyone inside. Kunaria explained the situation after the other two people left. Then Gillion turned to Hime.

"My apologies your highness. My name is Gillion and I am the leader of the spirit dragons." Hime nodded in acknowledgement and she turned to her servant. He was still in his corrupted and he was snarling at them.

"Can you help him?" Hime asked and Gillion glanced at Hiro.

"Unfortunately not. The most I can do is force him to human form. Whether he returned to normal or if he is too far gone is all dependent on his willpower. The corruption is permanent."

"Kunaria told me about what this corruption is but where did it come from?" Gillion nodded.

"Ah yes, this corruption comes from the Umbra Realm and the entity that rules it. Its identity is unknown, even to us. However its influence is well known amongst our kind."

"Draven was the one who did this to my son. He must've made a bargain with the entity, but for what purpose? Draven was already strong before he was banished." Kunaria said.

"I know not what Draven's plans are but your son is another matter." Gillion said as he increased the power of the chains and Hiro roared in pain. He shrunk back down to human form and fell unconscious. The chains disappeared and the wisps picked his body off the floor. His body was surrounded by a pale blue outline as they carried him out of the room. "He must be kept isolated, just in case he does not return to his proper state of mind."

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Back in Draven's castle, Lanaya was slammed into the wall and held there by Draven. The dragon king had a fiercely annoyed look on his face and one of his hands had a purple outline around it. Then he thrusted out his other hand and Jal'zul was subjected to the same treatment as the female dragon. They were practically thrown around like rag dolls and Lanaya spit some blood out from her mouth.

"You incompetent fools! I gave you one simple task and you failed!" Draven growled. Then he snapped his fingers and the two were slammed into each other.

"B-But my lord, the phoenix was accompanied by Kunaria. You know how strong she is." Jal'zul said and Draven narrowed his eyes. "But it's not all bad. That Shadow of Chaos potion you gave me was used on your nephew."

"Is that so?" Draven stopped tormenting them and turned his back to them. He remained silent for a few minutes and his servants stared at him as they caustiously stood up.

"That was a good move, right?" Lanaya asked and Draven glanced at them.

"Perhaps, we shall see soon."

"Where did you go your majesty?" Jal'zul asked.

"I went to gather more dragons for my army and I've succeeded."

"Are we going to conquer more territories?" Lanaya asked with a grin.

"We're going to do more than that. The time has come, I shall lead my army and take my throne back personally."

"Finally! The Monster Realm will bow to dragons once more!" Lanaya cheered.

"Are we starting now?" Jal'zul asked and Draven smirked.

"Indeed." Draven said as he left the castle and started shifted to his dragon form. " **Let us begin!** "

Suddenly Draven let out a very loud roar; signaling the beginning of the battle. Every dragon in his service raised their heads in acknowledgement of their king's command and took off into the air. They started to roar as well and began their assault.

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Azuriel flew as swiftly as his wings could carry him. He arrived at Razakel's home and his brother met him at the door.

"Razakel! It's Draven!" Azuriel shouted and Riza and Reiri walked over.

"The guy is starting his attack?" Riza asked and Razakel cursed. Kunaria, Hime, and Hiro still hadn't returned from the Spirit realm and Razakel was unsure if his son was prepared to fight alongside them against Draven and his army.

"What do you want you do now Razakel?" Reiri asked.

"We have no choice. We must meet Draven and his army on the battlefield." Razakel said and he his wings appeared. "I will gather all of our fighters and we'll meet you in the Monster Realm."

"Got it. Let's roll ladies." Azuriel said and the girls nodded.

* * *

Hime sat in a large leather chair by Hiro's bedside. Her servant still hadn't awakened yet but she could see that he was fighting off the corruption within his body from the twitches of his fingers and closed eyes. She couldn't afford to lose him now. Actually, she couldn't afford to lose him at all. He had become such a staple in her life now. Her eyes softened and a small smile graced her lips. She had grown so attached to him and even though he wasn't human anymore, he was still her Hiro. Her small smile turned into a smirk as it all came together. She wanted him to always remain by her side and not only as just her servant but as-

"Hime?" a familiar voice snapped Hime out of her thoughts. She saw Hiro with his eyes half open. He must've woken up a few seconds ago then. She sighed in relief that he was back to his old self again. Hiro slowly sat up and winced before he lifted himself off of the bed. He almost collapsed but Hime stood up and caught him in her arms. His head landed on her shoulder and he breathed in her scent. Then he wrapped his arms around her.

"I see you're back to normal Hiro." Hime said and the young dragon nodded. He didn't say anything for a while and Hime briefly wondered what was wrong.

"It was terrible." Hiro said and Hime guessed it was about his corrupted form. "The death, despair, and hunger. I can still feel it burning inside of me, trying to claw its way out."

Then Hiro's eyes changed to their draconic ones and his breathing grew heavy. The darkness of the Umbra Realm started to show in his eyes and Hime grew worried. She knew that he was trying his best to fend it off, especially considering he had never experienced such an evil before. His nails turned into black claws and he started shivering. Hime grabbed a hold of his head and forced him to look at her. In his eyes he was pleading, begging for some way to push the corruption back. His power as a spirit dragon was missing for some reason and he had nothing to hold on to. The yellow-gold color of his eyes were still there but they were started to flicker between that and violet. Despite the situation, a warm feeling washed over them both and they didn't notice their faces moving closer to each other.

"Calm down Hiro. Just focus on something."

"On what?" Hime didn't answer verbally and instead pressed her lips on his. Hiro couldn't believe what was happening. Hime, the woman he was in love with, was actually kissing him. The corruption in his eyes halted their spreading and he kissed her back. The two monsters felt fireworks go off within their minds but there was something else. It was like the last puzzle piece was placed to complete the picture. The bond between them grew brighter and Hiro's wings appeared. The corruption had receded and he wrapped his wings around them both. Hime pulled away and chuckled at the action. His eyes were back to their normal yellow-gold and Hime placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Use that to anchor yourself." Hime said and Hiro just nodded with a dumbfounded look.

"Why did you-?"

"Why did I kiss you?" Hiro nodded and Hime looked off to the side. "Why indeed."

"Seriously?" Hime chuckled again at his exasperated tone.

"I'm sure you can figure it out yourself. After all, you wrapped your wings around me." Hiro blushed.

"Well you don't exactly make it easier to tell." Hime smirked and brushed a loose strand of brown hair from his eyes. Then Hiro smiled. "But I know it's not easy for you to show."

"I am showing it now aren't I?" Hiro sighed.

"Geez." Hime actually laughed and Hiro couldn't keep the shock from appearing on his face. He had never heard his princess laugh before and he positively enjoyed the sound. His gaze softened lovingly. Then there weas a knock on the door.

"Hiro! Hime! It's an emergency!" Kunaria shouted and the two let go of each other. Hiro opened the door and his mother motioned for them to follow her.

"What's going on?" Hime asked.

"It's Draven your highness, the battle has begun." Hiro's eyes widened. "Razakel is gathering his warriors to meet them on the battlefield."

"But, I don't think I can fight him. Especially after what just happened." Hiro said and Kunaria placed a hand gently on top of his head.

"You're not alone Hiro. We'll all fight him together." Kunaria said with a soft smile and Hiro turned to Hime. She flipped her blonde hair and gave him one of her signature smirks. Hiro smiled at her and took a deep breath before he nodded at his mother.

"I wish you luck young one." Gillion said as he walked past them. "Remember, you're much stronger than you realize. Your spirit powers have not disappeared, they just haven't been called yet."

"Called?" Hiro asked and Gillion smiled knowingly.

"You'll find out soon enough. Just be sure to keep in mind what you're fighting for."

* * *

" **The Monster realm is mine!** " Draven shouted as his army of dragons tore the landscape apart. Hundreds of his kind flew through the air and walked across the ground as they carried out their king's orders. Civilian monsters were slaughtered left and right and Lanaya laughed as she joined in with Jal'zul on her back. Suddenly, a few vines wrapped themselves around the neck of a couple dragons and they roared in pain as the thorns pierced through their scales. Draven glanced over to see Azuriel in his dragon form with Riza and Reiri on his back and Flandre in one of his hands.

" **I expected you to betray me little brother, just like last time.** " Draven said as he narrowed his eyes.

" **You lost the war several centuries ago Draven. This world does not belong to you anymore.** " Azuriel said and Draven snarled. Then a portal opened and Razakel appeared in his dragon form.

" **Enough is enough Draven. We will stop you right here and now.** " Razakel said.

" **You think you can stop me?** " Draven asked with a snarl.

" **I don't _think_ , I _know_.** " Suddenly the portal opened wider and more dragons poured out into the Monster Realm. Draven and his army looked around and saw that Razakel had a dragon army of his own. Lanaya and the lightning dragon, Tyrinov floated next to their king.

" **My my, such an interesting turn of events. I look forward to seeing the outcome.** " Draven said and another portal opened. This time, Hiro appeared in his dragon form with Hime on his back and all the portals closed. Jal'zul and Lanaya's eyes widened.

"H-How? There's no way the corruption didn't work!" Jal'zul shouted and everyone heard chuckling. They turned to see Draven laughing.

" **Look at you my young nephew! You take after me more than your own father!** " Hiro glared at him.

" **The only thing I got from you was this corruption that lich of yours put on me. I'm nothing like you.** " Draven grinned.

"It's over Draven." Hime said with her pistols drawn.

" **You think you're strong enough to defy me? So be it.** " Draven spread his front limbs wide. " **Allow me to show you why _I_ am the King of Dragons!** "

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And that's the end of this chapter. I feel like I need to work more on romance scenes too. It's been a while since I last wrote one. Well, Read and Review!


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